User’s Guide Viz Multichannel 2.7

Transcript

Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2.7 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt. All rights reserved. No part of this software, documentation or publication may be reproduced, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any language, computer language, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, magnetically, optically, chemically, photocopied, manually, or otherwise, without prior written permission from Vizrt. Vizrt specifically retains title to all Vizrt software. This software is supplied under a license agreement and may only be installed, used or copied in accordance to that agreement. Disclaimer Vizrt provides this publication “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. This publication may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document to ensure that it contains accurate and up-to-date information, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained in this document. Vizrt’s policy is one of continual development, so the content of this document is periodically subject to be modified without notice. These changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. Vizrt may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time. Vizrt may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matters in this document. The furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents. Technical Support For technical support and the latest news of upgrades, documentation, and related products, visit the Vizrt web site at www.vizrt.com. Last Updated 15.05.2014 Table of Contents 1 Overview.................................................................................................... 13 1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................13 1.2 All-in-One Workflow............................................................................ 14 1.3 Graphics Workflow.............................................................................. 16 1.3.1 Upstream................................................................................ 17 1.3.2 Downstream............................................................................ 18 1.4 Important Terms.................................................................................18 2 Setup and Configuration................................................................................ 23 2.1 Scheduling........................................................................................ 24 2.1.1 Installation for Scheduling.......................................................... 24 2.2 Playout............................................................................................. 26 2.2.1 Installation of Viz Multichannel.................................................... 27 2.2.2 Installation of Viz Engine Machines for Playout............................... 28 2.2.3 Configuration of Channels.......................................................... 29 2.2.4 Enable Logging........................................................................ 30 2.3 Running Viz Multichannel..................................................................... 30 2.3.1 Media Sequencer......................................................................30 2.3.2 Startup Parameters...................................................................31 3 Requirements.............................................................................................. 33 3.1 General Requirements......................................................................... 33 3.2 Hardware Requirements.......................................................................34 3.3 Software Requirements........................................................................34 3.3.1 Viz Anchor.............................................................................. 34 3.3.2 Viz Artist.................................................................................35 3.3.3 Viz Content Pilot...................................................................... 36 3.3.4 Viz Engine...............................................................................41 3.3.5 Viz Gateway............................................................................ 42 3.3.6 Viz Graphic Hub....................................................................... 43 3.3.7 Viz One.................................................................................. 43 3.3.8 Media Sequencer......................................................................44 3.3.9 Viz Multichannel....................................................................... 45 3.3.10 Viz Trio................................................................................. 45 3.3.11 Vizrt Maps............................................................................. 46 3.3.12 EVS Video Server Control......................................................... 47 3.4 Shared Data...................................................................................... 49 3.5 Ports and Connections.........................................................................49 3.5.1 Port Numbers.......................................................................... 49 3.5.2 Multiplexing Port...................................................................... 52 4 User Interface..............................................................................................55 4.1 Main Menu and Toolbar....................................................................... 55 4.1.1 Main Menu.............................................................................. 56 4.1.2 Toolbar................................................................................... 57 4.2 Information Panel............................................................................... 58 4.3 Channels.......................................................................................... 58 4.4 Playlists............................................................................................ 59 4.4.1 Channel Pool........................................................................... 60 4.4.2 Playlist Toolbar.........................................................................60 4.4.3 Playlist Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts......................................... 61 4.4.4 Playlist Columns....................................................................... 63 4.4.5 Playlist Context Menu................................................................64 4.4.6 Playlist Filters.......................................................................... 65 4.5 Templates and Pages.......................................................................... 66 4.5.1 Template Context Menu............................................................. 67 4.5.2 Page Context Menu...................................................................67 4.5.3 Page Content Filling Window....................................................... 69 4.5.4 Database Connection Window..................................................... 70 4.5.5 Template and Page Filters.......................................................... 71 4.6 Video Clips........................................................................................ 72 4.7 Actions............................................................................................. 73 4.8 Template Import................................................................................. 74 4.9 Rules................................................................................................75 4.10 Page Editor......................................................................................76 4.10.1 Tab Fields.............................................................................. 76 4.10.2 Graphics Control Buttons..........................................................77 4.11 Timeline Editor................................................................................. 78 5 Configuration Interface.................................................................................. 81 5.1 Global Settings.................................................................................. 82 5.1.1 Automatic Import..................................................................... 82 5.1.2 Viz One.................................................................................. 83 5.1.3 Preview Server.........................................................................84 5.1.4 Logging.................................................................................. 84 5.2 Local Settings.................................................................................... 85 5.2.1 Local Viz Engine.......................................................................85 5.3 Working with Channel Settings..............................................................86 5.3.1 Create a Channel..................................................................... 87 5.3.2 Remove a Channel................................................................... 87 5.3.3 Export a Channel..................................................................... 88 5.3.4 Import a Channel..................................................................... 88 5.3.5 Create Primary Event Filter.........................................................89 5.3.6 Create Database Connections..................................................... 90 5.4 Channel Settings................................................................................ 94 5.4.1 Basic Settings.......................................................................... 96 5.4.2 Timezone Settings.................................................................... 97 5.4.3 Miscellaneous.......................................................................... 99 5.4.4 General Settings.....................................................................101 5.4.5 Day Switch Options.................................................................102 5.4.6 Filtering Options..................................................................... 103 5.4.7 Primary Mapping Settings.........................................................104 5.4.8 Secondary Mapping Settings..................................................... 108 5.4.9 Update Settings..................................................................... 108 5.4.10 Export Settings.....................................................................110 5.4.11 Graphic Settings................................................................... 111 5.4.12 GPI.....................................................................................112 5.4.13 VDCP.................................................................................. 112 5.4.14 Intelligent Interface............................................................... 113 5.4.15 TCP.................................................................................... 113 5.4.16 Database Connections........................................................... 114 5.4.17 Update Service..................................................................... 114 5.4.18 Forked Execution.................................................................. 115 5.4.19 Configuring Device Channels...................................................115 5.4.20 Configuring Playout Devices....................................................116 5.5 Video Configuration...........................................................................119 6 Import Guide............................................................................................. 121 6.1 Basic Mapping Table Field Names........................................................ 121 6.2 Any Text......................................................................................... 123 6.3 Any XML......................................................................................... 125 6.3.1 Map Primary and Secondary Events........................................... 126 6.4 Excel.............................................................................................. 129 6.5 Harris ADC-100................................................................................ 130 6.6 Omnibus......................................................................................... 132 6.7 Reading Channel and Date Values from Filenames.................................. 133 6.8 Concatenating Fields......................................................................... 134 7 Schedule Collector...................................................................................... 135 7.1 Installation and Startup..................................................................... 136 7.2 General Configuration........................................................................136 7.3 DB................................................................................................. 138 7.4 Harris............................................................................................. 139 7.5 Multi DB......................................................................................... 140 7.6 Omnibus......................................................................................... 142 7.6.1 Omnibus General Automation................................................... 142 7.6.2 Omnibus BXF iTX Automation................................................... 144 7.7 PBS................................................................................................ 148 7.8 SGT................................................................................................150 7.9 BXF Support.................................................................................... 151 8 Playlist Importer......................................................................................... 153 8.1 Installation and Configuration............................................................. 153 8.2 Startup Parameters........................................................................... 154 8.3 Automatic Import of Files................................................................... 155 8.4 Troubleshooting................................................................................ 155 9 Page Content Filling.................................................................................... 157 9.1 Page Content from Schedules............................................................. 157 9.1.1 Any Text Schedules................................................................. 157 9.1.2 Any XML Schedules.................................................................158 9.1.3 Excel Schedules..................................................................... 160 9.2 Page Content from Manual Input......................................................... 160 9.2.1 Manual Input......................................................................... 160 9.2.2 Referenced Pages................................................................... 161 9.3 Page Content from Playlist Meta Data...................................................161 9.4 Page Content from Database Lookups.................................................. 162 9.5 Page Content from Update Services..................................................... 163 10 Traffic Department Workflow....................................................................... 165 10.1 Working with Templates and Pages.....................................................165 10.1.1 Import Templates.................................................................. 166 10.1.2 Create Pages........................................................................166 10.1.3 Preview Pages...................................................................... 167 10.1.4 Edit Page Duration................................................................ 167 10.1.5 Send Templates and Pages..................................................... 167 10.2 Working with Actions....................................................................... 168 10.2.1 Define Actions...................................................................... 168 10.2.2 Referenced Actions................................................................169 10.3 Working with Ticker Actions.............................................................. 169 10.3.1 Export Ticker Actions............................................................. 170 10.3.2 Import Ticker Actions............................................................. 171 10.3.3 Schedule Ticker Actions Manually............................................. 171 10.3.4 Schedule Tickers Actions Automatically..................................... 171 10.3.5 Play Tickers Manually.............................................................172 10.4 Working with Playlists...................................................................... 172 10.4.1 Import a Schedule.................................................................173 10.4.2 Create a Playlist................................................................... 174 10.4.3 Delete a Playlist................................................................... 174 10.4.4 Add Primary Events to a Playlist.............................................. 175 10.4.5 Add Secondary Events to a Playlist...........................................175 10.4.6 Delete Events from a Playlist.................................................. 175 10.4.7 Update a Playlist...................................................................176 10.4.8 Export a Playlist................................................................... 176 10.5 Working with Video Clips.................................................................. 177 10.5.1 Preview of Video Clips........................................................... 177 10.5.2 Video Clips in Playlists........................................................... 178 10.5.3 Video Clips and Graphics........................................................ 178 10.6 Working with Rules..........................................................................180 10.6.1 Add a Rule.......................................................................... 180 10.6.2 Add Condition to a Rule......................................................... 181 10.6.3 Delete a Condition for a Rule.................................................. 182 10.6.4 Back up and Restore Rules..................................................... 183 10.6.5 Delete a Rule....................................................................... 183 10.7 Resolving Conflicts.......................................................................... 184 10.8 Sending Playlists to the Master Control............................................... 184 10.9 Generating the Channels File............................................................ 184 11 Master Control Workflow............................................................................ 187 11.1 Activate the Playlist.........................................................................187 11.2 Initialize the Playlist........................................................................ 188 11.3 Run the Playlist.............................................................................. 189 11.4 Triggers.........................................................................................190 11.5 Monitoring..................................................................................... 191 11.6 Live Schedule Updates.....................................................................191 11.7 Failover Procedure...........................................................................192 12 Logging and Billing................................................................................... 193 12.1 Daily Log.......................................................................................193 12.2 As Run Logs...................................................................................193 12.3 Channel and Playlist Reports............................................................. 195 13 Scheduling System Integrations................................................................... 197 14 Automation System Integrations.................................................................. 199 14.1 ADC-100 by Harris Broadcast............................................................ 200 14.1.1 General Information and Setup................................................ 200 14.1.2 Trigger Viz Multichannel Using VDCP......................................... 202 14.1.3 Trigger Viz Multichannel Using USD.......................................... 205 14.1.4 Automatic Playlist Updates Using RCV Files................................ 212 14.2 D-Series by Harris Broadcast.............................................................213 14.2.1 General Information and Setup................................................ 214 14.3 Neptune by Pebble Beach Systems.................................................... 214 14.3.1 Commands.......................................................................... 215 14.3.2 Importing and Updating......................................................... 215 14.3.3 Updating Live.......................................................................215 14.3.4 Newsroom Component........................................................... 216 14.3.5 Limitations...........................................................................216 14.4 iTx by Miranda Technologies............................................................. 216 14.4.1 Import Schedules.................................................................. 217 15 Viz One Integration................................................................................... 221 15.1 Viz One and Viz Engine Configuration................................................. 221 15.2 Viz Multichannel Configuration...........................................................221 15.3 Video Preview Configuration..............................................................222 16 Preview Server......................................................................................... 225 17 Appendix.................................................................................................229 17.1 Upgrading existing Multichannel installations........................................229 17.1.1 Upgrade tools from Multichannel versions lower than 2.5.............. 229 17.1.2 Upgrading Multichannel from 2.5 or 2.6 to 2.6.2..........................229 17.1.3 Upgrade Multichannel from 2.6.2 to 2.7.....................................230 17.1.4 Troubleshooting the Upgrade Tool.............................................231 17.1.5 List of Critical failures when running the Upgrade tool.................. 232 17.1.6 List of Non-Critical failures when running the Upgrade tool............ 232 17.2 Vizrt Data Format (VDF)................................................................... 233 17.3 Hosted Page Editor..........................................................................233 17.3.1 Register the ActiveX.............................................................. 234 17.3.2 Open the ActiveX..................................................................235 17.3.3 Set the Correct Product and Channel........................................ 235 17.3.4 List Templates and Pages....................................................... 236 17.3.5 Create, Edit and Delete Pages Using the Page Editor.................... 237 17.3.6 Edit a Single Page Field Without a Page Editor............................ 238 17.3.7 Edit Multiple Page Fields Without a Page Editor........................... 238 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 1 Overview Viz Multichannel makes it easy to utilize high-quality Vizrt graphics for channel branding. The application simplifies the playout of playlists, providing a single client that handles the playlist elements of one or multiple channels. Viz Multichannel helps to promote commercial messages on multiple channels in a fully automated way and integrates seamlessly with existing channel traffic and scheduling solutions. It supports the import of playlists from all major traffic and automation systems. Viz Multichannel combines pre-scheduled, timecode-based playlist operations with the possibility of adding real-time 2D and 3D graphic effects and powerful branding capabilities. In complex environments the application helps to centralize the entire workflow onto one or few desktops. This chapter contains information on the following topics: • Introduction • All-in-One Workflow • Graphics Workflow • Important Terms 1.1 Introduction To allow a seamless integration with existing hardware, the solution relies on standard rack mountable PCs instead of depending on proprietary hardware. Updates and upgrades can thus easily be implemented without requiring modifications of the solution as a whole. Viz Multichannel is the number one choice, regardless of whether the application is used for just one or multiple channels. Some of the key benefits are: • Translate network promotions and branding strategies into rules and use them to automatically create graphics playlists • Operators can use pre-defined graphics templates Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 13 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Simplify sponsoring, including automatic logging and reporting, time frame accurate reports about aired content, and “As-Run” logs • Integrates with most leading automation systems using standard protocols • Full support for SD and HD formats, real-time 2D/3D graphics and DVE effects • Integrates with Viz One for access to video content • Automate an almost unlimited number of channels and monitor them all from a single Viz Multichannel terminal • Automatically adapt changes in the playlist up to the very last minute See Also • Important Terms 1.2 All-in-One Workflow One of Viz Multichannel’s many strengths is its integration with existing systems used in the traffic department and master control room. The application utilizes schedules from the scheduling and automation systems and is able to import any fixed format text file, like XML, CSV, or Microsoft Excel. After importing the schedule and its data, a new playlist, including a graphic layer, is automatically created. Adding a predefined page to an event in the playlist can either be achieved by dragging the page from the Templates and Pages list and dropping it onto a primary event in the playlist or by allowing the graphic elements to be created automatically, based on predefined Rules. The latter is especially convenient for non-technical personnel in traffic departments who can prepare pages for playout without actually having to work with them. The possibility to predefine rules can describe a variety of playlist rules, such as adding graphics with a relative offset to a primary event with a predefined length. Page 14 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Viz Multichannel takes the best of Vizrt’s template-based graphics solution to automatically generate the graphics content. The properties of the graphics can be seamlessly populated from existing meta data received by e.g. the scheduling system or other external data sources. To streamline workflow as much as possible, Viz Multichannel contains two layers of automation: 1. The first layer is Viz Multichannel’s capability to read schedules. By analyzing the schedule, the application can automatically launch graphics at a defined offset. This can be the beginning, the credits or the end time of a specific event, according to pre-defined rules. 2. The second layer of automation is the linkage between the different properties of objects from graphics (texts, images, geometry, etc.) and the information as it exists in the imported schedule. This linkage can be customized to create a fully automatic system that “decides” which graphics to use and add to which primary event, and what data to take from the schedule and insert to the matching object of that graphics. In other words: Viz Multichannel is capable of automatically choosing the right graphics and filling it with adequate content. For frame accurate playout, Viz Multichannel is fully integrated with most leading automation system vendors, like Harris Broadcast, Miranda Technologies or Pebble Beach Systems. After receiving the updated schedule from the scheduling system, the automation system takes control during playout. Using standard protocols like VDCP and intelligent interface, the automation system then triggers when certain events should be run. With the Broadcast eXchange Format (BXF) Viz Multichannel also provides an interface mechanism that allows broadcast systems to exchange mission-critical data. Last minute changes to existing playlists are common in everyday broadcasting: sports events go overtime, live shows do not keep their planned time schedule, and breaking news events demand their own space in the playlist. Viz Multichannel has been designed to maintain full control over its playlist up to the very last minute before playout. Graphics that are connected to a specific event will collect information like program name and start time automatically. In case any changes to the playlist occur, the graphics will update all the relevant information. In addition, an automatic error check makes sure, that changes in the original schedule do not corrupt the imported playlist. Viz Multichannel offers advanced error protection features that alert about animations overlapping, mismatches or any other deviations from the schedule. Another reason for Viz Multichannel’’s flexibility is that it works with relative time codes. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 15 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Offsets for graphics are given, based on the timecode of a specific event rather than an absolute time of day. Updates in the playlist do not affect the secondary events (e.g. graphics, video clips or a combination of the two) in the playlist, simply because the relative start point of such an event in relation to the primary event always stays the same. Viz Multichannel integrates with Viz One that enables the operator to search and browse for Video Clips stored in the Viz One from within the Viz Multichannel user interface. Video clips that are used in the playlist are automatically transferred to the relevant Viz Engines by Viz One. Video clips can either be added as full screens, or embedded into the graphics. Finally, the playlist can be populated with graphics effects from all sources that follow the ODBC standard. Viz Multichannel allows the promotion of programs and shows across multiple channels. This is made possible by accessing the playlist of other channels and cross referencing the content with the primary channel. Viz Multichannel can also make use of Viz Engine for local preview of graphics and graphics with embedded video clips. The preview functionality is an essential tool for operators in the master control room to monitor graphics before taking it to air. Viz Multichannel’s “as run” logging feature is especially useful for the marketing and book- keeping department. The logged data can easily be used for billing and statistics purposes, and does not demand an additional software solution. See Also • Page Content Filling • Traffic Department Workflow • Master Control Workflow • Logging and Billing • Important Terms 1.3 Graphics Workflow Viz Engine supports several workflows with regards to how and when graphics and video are mixed. To simplify it we can say that Viz Engine supports graphics and video mixing in an Upstream or Downstream workflow. An upstream workflow basically means that graphics are rendered separately and independently of the video signal before it is keyed on top of the video signal, traditionally by a vision mixer. Opposite to upstream mixing you have downstream mixing. Downstream mixing basically means that graphics and video are composited and mixed by Viz Engine. This can be live video or clips treated as DVE for graphics insertion and/or squeeze backs. Page 16 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide This section contains information on the following topics: • Upstream • Downstream • Important Terms 1.3.1 Upstream An upstream workflow basically means that graphics are rendered separately and independently of the video signal before it is keyed on top of the video signal, traditionally by a vision mixer. Note that mixing graphics and video in an upstream workflow introduces latency because graphics must be rendered before it can be mixed with the video signal for a final SDI output. Therefore most automation systems, including Media Sequencer, are able to adjust and cater for latency introduced by devices such as Viz Engine due to the buffer it needs to render graphics in real-time. In the case of Viz Engine and graphics output the latency has to match Viz Engine’s ring buffer. Ring buffer is simply put the time (in frames) Viz has before its graphics should be ready for on air, and sent to your vision mixer. Setting the ring buffer size is simply a matter of setting a parameter called Ring buffer size using Viz Engine’s configuration tool; however, the ring buffer size is only a maximum value which means that graphics rendered faster than the set size will be on air before it was intended. The latter is often the case when an automation system simultaneously takes video and graphics on air. Therefore, in order to predict the latency, the ring buffer size must be fixed and thus frame accurate Viz communication must also be enabled (see Viz Engine’s configuration section of the video board). Enabling Viz Engine to be frame accurate will enable the automation system to time the latency of Viz Engine and other devices it controls and in the end have a perfectly timed SDI output signal of both video and graphics. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 17 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 1.3.2 Downstream Opposite to Upstream mixing you have downstream mixing. Downstream mixing basically means that graphics and video are composited and mixed by Viz Engine. This can be live video or clips treated as DVE for graphics insertion and/or squeeze backs. In the case of the automation system, the downstream workflow allows such systems to simultaneously take video and graphics on air without worrying about latency as Viz Engine manages compositing and mixing of graphics and video. In case graphics rendering should fail the video will simply pass through before the graphics engine is on air again and graphics compositing can commence. See Also • Viz One Integration 1.4 Important Terms A number of glossary items in the table below refer to one another. If a definition contains an unfamiliar term, check for its explanation in the same table. Page 18 Term Definition Action An action can a GPO command, Viz Engine command or a Viz Ticker 3D command. See Actions. Automation system The system that manages the assemblage of broadcast systems, meaning the camera, graphics, prompters, etc. for broadcast. During playout, the system sends control commands to Viz Multichannel. Broadcast day playlist Viz Multichannel supports two types of playlists; broadcast day and continuous playlists. A broadcast day playlist must be switched based on day switch settings. See Day Switch Options. Channel A channel is a defined broadcast channel. In Viz Multichannel a channel holds all the Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Term Definition information needed for playout of that channel’s program content. This involves how to import and map playout schedule(s) to a single continuous playlist or multiple broadcast day playlists. It also includes how Viz Multichannel is configured in order to cater for the channel’s setup requirements (see device channel). Control Room Room serving as an operations centre where a facility or service can be monitored and controlled. A control room generally serves a single channel. Condition Applied on rules, a condition relates to a primary events. When defining a condition, one or more attributes must be selected: the user enters a value which the primary event attribute must meet. If the condition is met, then the associated template will be shown. See Add Condition to a Rule. Continuous playlist Viz Multichannel supports two types of playlists; continuous and broadcast day playlists. A continuous playlist does not have to be switched based on day switch settings. Device channel A device channel is basically a list of playout devices assigned to a Channel. This can be one or multiple Viz Engines for graphics playout and video devices for full screen video playout (see playout device). DVE Digital Video Effects. Video that is played through the Viz Engine and that can have 2D animation. Event A playlist element. Can be a primary or secondary event. Event ID For primary events, this field serves as the index on which the playlist updates are done. This identifies the primary event, and is the key to know which event is to be updated. Item An item (or element) in a playlist. Can be a primary or secondary event. Master Control Room The Master control room (MCR) is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations and networks. It is distinct from production control rooms in television studios where the activities Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 19 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Term Definition such as switching from camera to camera are coordinated. Typically there will be Multichannel client for lastminute changes and monitoring. Page 20 Media Sequencer Media Sequencer is a central software component used by Vizrt client applications. The Media Sequencer is a framework for defining and executing media elements. Offset The delay between the secondary events and its respective primary event. Page A page is an instance of a template containing data (e.g. imagery, text, video), and is based on a graphics template. Pages, when added to a Viz Multichannel playlist, are considered secondary events. Playout device A playout device is either a Viz Engine dedicated to graphics and video clip playout, or a video device dedicated to full screen video playout and so on (see device channel). Playlist A list of programs, typically for a single day. An external playlist can be imported from an automation or scheduling system. A Viz Multichannel playlist is composed of primary and secondary events, and can be viewed in the right pane. Playlist Element A primary or secondary event in a playlist. Primary Event A program in a playlist. Appears as the parent element. Templates and Viz Commands can be added as secondary events. Rule For imported (and subsequently updated) playlists, you can create sets of rules that govern how templates can be automatically associated with certain events within a playlist. Rules are useful when external playlists do not already contain secondary events. Rules are defined on a per-template basis. Both master and editable templates support rules. In addition, rules can also be applied to Viz Commands (see Working with Actions). Rules are applied upon Import a Schedule or Update a Playlist of external origin. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Term Definition Scene A graphic scene built in Viz Artist, before being imported into Viz Multichannel. Scheduling department See traffic department. Scheduling system The system used by the traffic department for scheduling primary events of program material, and in particular advertisements, for the broadcast day. The result of this scheduling is a daily schedule which is the input for Viz Multichannel. Depending on the system, it can also include information for secondary events. Note that a scheduling system is also known as a traffic system. Secondary Event A child element of a primary event in a playlist. Can be a template or a Viz Command. Template A graphic scene built in Viz Artist, after being imported into Viz Multichannel. A template is used to create pages (an instance of the template) that are added to the playlist. Pages, when added to a Viz Multichannel playlist, are considered secondary events. Traffic department The department where the initial insertion of primary and secondary events into the schedule takes place. When ready, it will be transferred to the automation system and Viz Multichannel in the Master Control Room for the actual playout. Trigger A control command initiated from the automation system telling Viz Multichannel to execute a certain command on a playlist event, such as LOAD, PLAY, STOP. The automation system uses a known protocol, such as VDCP, CII, GPI etc., to send the command. Viz Engine The software that renders the graphics. In a Viz Multichannel setup it is used for local preview, and for preview and program playout. It can also be used for video playout in a Downstream setup. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 21 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 22 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2 Setup and Configuration When setting up Viz Multichannel you will install other software components except those parts bundled with Viz Multichannel. Hence, this manual will refer to those parts, but for actual help on installation it will refer you to the respective manuals. When planning the setup and configuration there are in particular two parts that should be carefully considered before you install and configure Multichannel: • Many Viz Multichannel systems are connected to an automation system that automatically provides the schedule from a scheduling department. Other installations read the schedule from a text file, a database, XML, Excel or by other means. Multichannel refers to the received schedule (i.e. what to do and when to do it) as a playlist. At any given time, Multichannel must have a valid, active and running playlist for the planned automated actions to be performed. How will the schedule be provided and how will it be ingested? • How will graphics be triggered? There are many protocols (VDCP, REST, GPI and Intelligent Interface) that can trigger graphics. In some cases, external systems (automation or traffic systems) will trigger graphics by sending a command utilizing one of the protocols mentioned. This is called externally triggered events. In some cases the automation system will only trigger main events (example: a film) and then graphics will be applied by a time offset from the main event. Typically Viz Multichannel is installed in the following locations: • Viz Multichannel’s Schedule Collector and Playlist Importer on the Media Sequencer machine in the server room. Media Sequencer is in most cases installed on the Viz Engine (program) machine. • Viz Multichannel, it’s Schedule Collector and Playlist Importer on a client machine in the scheduling center Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 23 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Viz Multichannel on a client machine in the master control room This section contains information on the following topics: • Playout • Scheduling 2.1 Scheduling A typical installation includes one Viz Multichannel and a local Viz Engine. In addition you typically install Viz Multichannel’s Schedule Collector (SCC) and Playlist Importer (PLI) in order to collect and import playlists through mapping settings into Viz Multichannel. Viz Engine is used for preview and is typically a VGA version without SDI out capabilities. This setup allows the Scheduling Center to prepare and preview playlists before sending them to playout by the program Viz Engine(s). The following software components are in use: • Viz Multichannel client • Viz Multichannel’s Schedule Collector (SCC) • Viz Multichannel’s Playlist Importer (PLI) • Viz Engine (local preview) • Media Sequencer This section contains information on the following topics: • Installation for Scheduling See Also • Traffic Department Workflow • Playout • Important Terms 2.1.1 Installation for Scheduling The machine in the Scheduling must have the following software components installed: Page 24 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Viz Multichannel client • Viz Multichannel’s Schedule Collector • Viz Multichannel’s Playlist Importer • Media Sequencer • Viz Engine (preview) IMPORTANT! Ensure that clocks on all machines in the installation are synchronized! It is also recommended to set all date formats on all machines to the same format. To install the Viz Multichannel client 1. Start the Viz Multichannel installer 2. Click Next 3. Select Complete and click Next • Select Custom if a different install path is needed. 4. Click Install 5. Click Finish To install Media Sequencer 1. Start the Media Sequencer installer 2. Click Next 3. Click Next • Select features and/or a different install path if needed. 4. Click Install • Put shortcuts on the desktop if needed. 5. Click Finish To install Viz Engine Viz Engine is used for local preview, hence, you only need to install a VGA version. 1. Start the Viz Artist/Viz Engine installer 2. Click Next 3. Check the I accept the terms in the License Agreement check box and click Next 4. Click VGA 5. Click Next • Select features and/or a different install path if needed. 6. Click Install 7. Click Finish Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 25 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide See Also • Playout • Vizrt’s Documentation Center 2.2 Playout A second Viz Multichannel application is typically installed in the master control room (MCR) for monitoring purposes and manual update of data. It can also be used for manual playout. This installation also includes a local Viz Engine for preview purposes. Integrated with an automation system, Viz Multichannel can import its schedule(s) and allow the automation system to control the playout of video and graphics without any manual intervention. The machine in the MCR must have the following software components installed: • Viz Multichannel client • Viz Engine (local preview) Viz Multichannel’s Schedule Collector and importer must be installed alongside the Media Sequencer. Note that you may install the Media Sequencer, Schedule Collector and Playlist Importer on the Viz Engine program machine. The Schedule Collector collects and outputs scheduled events, typically from the automation system, which the Playlist Importer imports into the Media Sequencer for the Viz Multichannel operator in the MCR to see. Final mapping of events into the Vizrt playlist is done using the Viz Multichannel client. Video clip transfers from Viz One to the Viz Engine program machine are initiated by the Media Sequencer once the playlist is activated. The following software components are in use: • Viz Multichannel’s Schedule Collector (SCC) • Viz Multichannel’s Playlist Importer (PLI) • Viz Engine (program and preview) • Media Sequencer Page 26 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Note: Collection of events from scheduling systems are currently not supported by the Schedule Collector. This is done using the Viz Multichannel client in scheduling mode. This section contains information on the following topics: • Installation of Viz Multichannel • Installation of Viz Engine Machines for Playout • Configuration of Channels • Enable Logging See Also • Master Control Workflow • Schedule Collector • Playlist Importer • Scheduling • Important Terms 2.2.1 Installation of Viz Multichannel Viz Multichannel in the master control room must be connected to Viz Engines for program and preview output; however, a Viz Engine for local preview is often needed as well. Ensure that you have Viz Engines ready before starting the installation steps below. A Viz Engine is also used for local preview by the Page Editor, hence, you need to install a VGA version. IMPORTANT! Ensure that clocks on all machines in the installation are synchronized! It is also recommended to set all date formats on all machines to the same format. This section contains the following procedures: • To install the Viz Multichannel client • To install Viz Engine To install the Viz Multichannel client 1. Start the Viz Multichannel installer 2. Click Next 3. Select Complete and click Next • Select Custom if a different install path is needed. 4. Click Install 5. Click Finish Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 27 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide To install Viz Engine 1. Start the Viz Artist/Viz Engine installer 2. Click Next 3. Check the I accept the terms in the License Agreement check box and click Next 4. Click VGA 5. Click Next • Select features and/or a different install path if needed. 2.2.2 6. Click Install 7. Click Finish Installation of Viz Engine Machines for Playout It is recommended to install Viz Multichannel’s Schedule Collector, Playlist Importer, and Media Sequencer on the same machine as the Viz Engine defined as your program output channel. IMPORTANT! Ensure that clocks on all machines in the installation are synchronized! It is also recommended to set all date formats on all machines to the same format. This section contains the following procedures: • To install the Schedule Collector • To install the Playlist Importer • To install Media Sequencer • To install Viz Engine (program and preview) To install the Schedule Collector 1. Start the Viz Multichannel Schedule Collector installer 2. Click Next 3. Click Next • Select a different install path if you need to. 4. Click Install 5. Click Finish To install the Playlist Importer 1. Start the Viz Playlist Importer installer 2. Click Next 3. Click Next • Select a different install path if you need to. 4. Page 28 Click Install Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5. Click Finish To install Media Sequencer 1. Start the Media Sequencer installer 2. Click Next 3. Click Next • Select features and/or a different install path if needed. 4. Click Install • Put shortcuts on the desktop if needed. 5. Click Finish To install Viz Engine (program and preview) Viz Engines used as your program and preview output channels can easily switch roles, hence, you should always have two Video versions installed. 1. Start the Viz Artist/Viz Engine installer 2. Click Next 3. Check the I accept the terms in the License Agreement check box and click Next 4. Click Video 5. Click Next • Select features and/or a different install path if needed. 6. Click Install 7. Click Finish See Also • Vizrt’s Documentation Center for more information on setup and configuration of Viz Engine. • Import Guide 2.2.3 Configuration of Channels For the Master Control Room machine(s) to have access to all channels, you must populate its channels.ini file with all channels defined on the Media Sequencer machine(s). To configure a the channels 1. In Windows Explorer, browse to Viz Multichannel’s install directory • Windows XP: %ProgramFiles%\vizrt\Viz Multichannel • Windows 7: %ProgramFiles(x86)%\vizrt\Viz Multichannel 2. Open the channels.ini file in the text editor of your choice. • The file should be empty. 3. Enter each channel as a separate line in the text file. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 29 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • The format is: ChannelName= or 4. Save and close the file. 5. Add -msehost none to your Viz Multichannel shortcut as explained in Startup Parameters. 6. On each Media Sequencer machine, create a directory structure like the installation directory seen above and copy there PlayListImporter.exe and PlaylistHistoryManager.exe. Note: Executables are found in the Viz Multichannel client installation folder. See Also • Channel Settings 2.2.4 Enable Logging Logging will help you troubleshoot issues that may occur. Note that the log produced by Viz Multichannel only reflects what the Media Sequencer attempted to play out (as opposed to what was actually played out). For more information on how to format the output, see the Media Sequencer manual. See also Logging and Billing. To enable logging • On the Media Sequencer machine, create the following folder path: C:\data \logs to generate a Daily Log. See Also • Logging and Billing 2.3 Running Viz Multichannel This section contains information on the following topics: • Media Sequencer • Startup Parameters 2.3.1 Media Sequencer There must always be a connection to the Media Sequencer when running Viz Multichannel. By default, the Media Sequencer runs as a Windows service, and is automatically launched on machine startup. Also, note that when running Viz Multichannel in Master Control Room (MCR) mode you will need to configure your channels.ini file or else Viz Multichannel will not start in MCR mode. Page 30 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Also, note that the Playlist Importer by default runs on the Media Sequencer. Hence, in order for any schedule to be imported correctly your Viz Multichannel client must set the correct Startup Parameters for your Media Sequencer. See Also • Playout • Startup Parameters 2.3.2 Startup Parameters Parameter Description -msehost Hostname or IP address for Media -msehost none Sequencer. -msehost 10.210.0.10 If none is used MCP will work -msehost hostname in MCR mode, reading each channel’s Media Sequencer from channels.ini. See Playout. If no parameter is provided, MCP will attempt to connect to localhost. -vizdb host:db:user:pw Configure the -vizdb Viz Engine 3.x database login for localhost:VizDb:Guest the local preview Engine. -viz2 Allows you to use Viz Engine 2.x. Viz 3.x is default. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Example Page 31 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 32 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3 Requirements This chapter describes general requirements, such as hardware, software, access rights and policies for a number of software components in your Viz work flow. For more in-depth system information, see the relevant sections in your respective user and/or administrator guides. IMPORTANT! Always check release notes for information on supported versions. This chapter contains information on the following topics: • General Requirements • Hardware Requirements • Software Requirements • Shared Data • Ports and Connections 3.1 General Requirements There are some general requirements for any Vizrt system to run. These requirements apply when setting up a complete system with integration to other Vizrt and third party software products: • All machines should be part of the same domain. • Users of the Vizrt machines should ideally be separated in at least two groups, administrators and designers/operators. • Most machines running desktop applications must be logged in with sufficient privileges to run Vizrt programs, while services by default do not require users to be logged in. • Vizrt servers must have static IP addresses. Caution: Third party systems that provide Vizrt systems with files must only use Microsoft Windows operating system compatible characters as the file name. • Vizrt has license restrictions on all Viz Engine and Viz Artist instances. To have an output of Vizrt generated graphics (preview and program channels), either an USB or a parallel port dongle on the renderer machine is required. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 33 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3.2 Hardware Requirements Hardware requirements vary depending on the system purchased; however, every system delivered by Vizrt has an accompanying hardware specification sheet that, for a new system, matches the Software Requirements. For older hardware that are used with newer versions of Vizrt software, such as Viz Engine, it is always recommended to check against the current hardware specifications for the new software version to make sure that the latest software can run on the old hardware specification. Additional hardware must always be checked to see if it is compatible with existing hardware. For example, the GPI cards supported by Vizrt must fit in the Media Sequencer servers. For more information on hardware specifications, please contact your local Vizrt customer support team. 3.3 Software Requirements The following sections describe software requirements for the product described in this manual and a range of components that may be integrated with it. For more information see the following topics: • Viz Anchor • Viz Artist • Viz Content Pilot • Viz Engine • Viz Gateway • Viz Graphic Hub • Viz One • Media Sequencer • Viz Multichannel • Viz Trio • Vizrt Maps • EVS Video Server Control 3.3.1 Viz Anchor Viz Anchor is a Vizrt application targeted at the presenter in the studio. The application runs natively on Apple’s iPad and allows users to control playlists with video and graphics directly from the handheld device. Viz Anchor specifications Software Page 34 Viz Anchor 1.0 or later, Media Sequencer 1.22 or later Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3.3.2 Operating system Apple iOS 3.2 or later Network access Uses the Bonjour protocol to automatically discover the Media Sequencer and Preview Server if the wireless router/switch allows it. Hardware Apple iPad 1, 2 or 3 Viz Artist Viz Artist is an advanced real-time motion graphics authoring system for the creation of stunning real-time graphics. Built with an elegant and easy to use drag-and-drop user interface and sophisticated 3D animation and modeling tools, Viz Artist enables the digital artist to produce complex and engaging visual content for broadcast, virtual sets, and visualization in less time and with greater creative freedom. Viz Artist specifications Software Viz Engine 3.5.1 or later, or Viz Engine 2.8 PL5 HotFix3 Viz World Client 12.0 or later (see Vizrt Maps) Viz DataPool 2.10 or later Extra Viz 2 plug-ins (for Viz 2.x) Optional: ArdFtp and ArdFSMon are used for the Viz One integration. Installers are bundled with Viz One. Optional: Viz Content Pilot with Viz Template Wizard, Media Sequencer, Viz Multiplexer and Thumbnail Generator. Note: Viz Engine 2.8 is not compatible with Viz One. Executable(s) viz.exe VizGui.exe vizSend.exe Ports and Connections TCP: 6100 (preview and playout) 14300 (Viz Multiplexer) 50007-50009 (multiplexing). Local drive access Read and write access to C:\%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore\Program Files\ vizrt\viz\ Network access Mapped drive to VOS still store folder and Viz Engine data root (see Shared Data ) Operating system Windows XP SP2/SP3 (32-bit) and Windows 7 (64-bit) The Viz Artist design machine should preferably have the same specifications as the Viz Engine playout renderers, especially if the designers need to test performance issues on demanding scenes. If designers are creating templates for Viz Content Pilot (VCP), it is recommended that VCP is installed on a separate machine for more accurate playout emulation on Viz Engine . Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 35 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3.3.3 Viz Content Pilot Viz Content Pilot (VCP) is built on a client-server software model where the VCP client connects to the Viz Content Pilot Database (Oracle database server) for templates and content, and the Media Sequencer for playout. • VCP requires an Oracle database as the back-end server. • VCP requires an Media Sequencer for communication with Viz Engine and other systems. • VCP 5.7 requires Media Sequencer version 1.23 or later. On the server side, the database serves all clients storing and retrieving content data for the control, delivery and triggering of graphics rendered on the graphics renderer Viz Engine. This section contains information on the following topics: • Viz Content Pilot Client • Viz Content Pilot Database • Viz Content Pilot Database Administrator • Viz Content Pilot Newsroom Component • Viz Content Pilot Thumbnail Generator • Viz Template Wizard • Data Server Viz Content Pilot Client The VCP specifications shown below are machine specifications for a typical newsroom system setup, where VCP is the control application receiving the playlist. VCP specifications Software Viz Content Pilot 5.7 Media Sequencer 1.23 or later Oracle 10g Instant Client 32-bit Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 (Full) Optional: Oracle 11g Instant Client 32-bit Optional: Oracle 11g or 10 g Runtime Client 32-bit Optional: Viz World Client, VCP TimeCode Monitor, Viz PreCut. Optional: If you are using a local Viz Engine to preview video clips from Viz One, Viz Engine must be installed with video codecs (e.g. MPEG-4 codec and Haali Media Splitter). Optional: Windows Media Player 11 for video clip preview in Viz Object Store. Executable(s) VizContentPilot.exe vizPreviewEngine.exe (local preview) Local drive access Access to Oracle client files and folders Read and write access to C:\%LOCALAPPDATA%\ VirtualStore\Program Files\vizrt\ Page 36 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Network access Mapped drive to Viz Object Store still store folder Optional: If local preview using Viz Engine 2 is chosen, a mapped drive to Viz Engine’s data root is needed Also see Shared Data Operating system Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (recommended) Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Windows XP Professional 32-bit The Viz Content Pilot client gets its Viz One connection parameters from the VCP database. Vizrt recommends the use of remote preview that has no need for a local Viz Engine or graphics cards on the client machine. Viz Content Pilot Database The VCP database is an Oracle database server. Usually two database servers are installed where one is used for manual failover and to hold the Viz Engine 2.x data root. Viz Engine 3.x graphics data is stored on the Viz Graphic Hub . VCP database specifications Software Oracle 11g Database 64-bit Oracle 11g Administrator Client 64-bit (standard edition) Optional: Oracle 10g Database and Administrator Client 64-bit Executable(s) Please refer to official Oracle documentation. Ports and Connections 1521 (queries) Services Oracle database service, TNS listener service Local drive access A shared folder on the second server (failover) has to be accessible for all machines showing the rendered graphics. Operating System Windows 2008 R2 Server (with 8GB RAM or more) Oracle Documentation Oracle Database Documentation Library: 11g: http://www.oracle.com/pls/db112/homepage 10g: http://www.oracle.com/pls/db102/homepage Viz Content Pilot Database Administrator The Viz Content Pilot Database Administrator tool (VCP DBA) is a small application used for installing, upgrading, exporting, importing, and setting various parameters for the Viz Content Pilot Database . It is purely a DBA tool, and should therefore only be used by database administrators. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 37 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide VCP DBA specifications Software Viz Content Pilot DBA tool Oracle 10g Administrator Client 32-bit Optional: Oracle 11g Administrator Client 32-bit Executable(s) VCPDBA.exe Service(s) Oracle database service TNS listener service Operating system Windows Server 2003 32-bit Windows XP 32-bit Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit Viz Content Pilot Newsroom Component The newsroom client machine specification describes a basic setup for journalists and editors. For a more detailed view on available software options, see the Viz Content Pilot and other administrator guides for descriptions on different types of setup. Newsroom Component specifications Software VCP’s Newsroom Component 5.7 Viz Object Store 5.7 Viz World Client 12.0 or later (see Vizrt Maps) Oracle 10g Instant Client 32-bit Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Newsroom system client Optional: Oracle 11g Instant Client 32-bit Optional: Oracle 11g or 10 g Runtime Client 32-bit Optional: If you are using a local Viz Engine to preview video clips from Viz One, Viz Engine must be installed with video codecs (e.g. MPEG-4 codec and Haali Media Splitter) Optional: Viz EasyCut or Viz PreCut for video clip editing. Executable(s) VCPAxFiller.ocx VCPAxNle.exe (NLE) viz.exe VizObjectStore.exe Local drive access Read access to Oracle client files and folders Read and write access to C:\%LOCALAPPDATA%\ VirtualStore\Program Files\vizrt\ Network access Mapped drive to VOS still store folder. Optional: If local preview using Viz Engine 2 is chosen, a mapped drive to Viz Engine’s data root is needed. Also see Shared Data . Other Registry settings for preview Registry settings for Media Object Server (MOS) ID Operating system Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (recommended) Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Windows XP Professional 32-bit Page 38 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Vizrt recommends the use of remote preview that has no need for a local Viz Engine on the client machine; hence, local preview is not recommended. All users of machines installed with Viz Engine must have read and write access to the following folder: C:\%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore\Program Files\vizrt\. The Newsroom Component gets its Viz One connection parameters from the VCP database. Note: Newsroom Component’s timeline editor does not work on virtual machines. Viz Content Pilot Thumbnail Generator VCP’s Thumbnail Generator is an optional addition to a VCP setup that generates data element snapshots used as thumbnails to visualize graphics and video elements in the VCP client’s playlist. It is recommended to install Thumbnail Generator on the Viz Graphic Hub or Viz Content Pilot Database machine. It is also recommended to configure Viz Thumbnail Generator to fetch scene snapshots from one of the newsroom Viz Engine preview machines. If installed on a local Viz Engine, see also Viz Engine . Caution: Do not use an on-air Viz Engine to generate thumbnails. Viz Thumbnail Generator specifications Software Oracle 10g Instant Client 32-bit Viz Content Pilot’s Thumbnail Generator 5.7 Optional: Oracle 11g Instant Client 32-bit Optional: Oracle 11g or 10g Runtime Client 32-bit Executable(s) ThumbnailGenerator.exe Operating system Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (recommended) Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Windows XP Professional 32-bit Windows 2003 32-bit. Viz Template Wizard Viz Template Wizard is a template design and scripting tool used to create templates for graphics and video. Viz Template Wizard can also be used to create control templates for Viz Trio. VTW can be installed as a stand-alone product for editing and running VCP templates inside Viz Trio, on a Viz Trio system with no VCP . In this case the Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 39 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Oracle Instant Client is not required, but VTW must run in NODB mode (set NODB in the VCP Registry Settings). It is possible to install Viz Template Wizard on the same machine as Viz Artist ; however, it is recommended to install it on a separate design client for template designers. Viz Template Wizard specifications Software Oracle 10g Instant Client 32-bit Media Sequencer 1.23 Viz Template Wizard 5.7 Optional: Oracle 11g Instant Client 32-bit Optional: Oracle 11g or 10g Runtime Client 32-bit Optional: Windows Media Player 11 for video clip preview in Viz Object Store. Executable(s) scheduler.exe (when running in Console mode) VizTemplateWizard.exe Operating system Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (recommended) Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Windows XP Professional 32-bit. Viz Template Wizard connects to Media Sequencer for testing and previewing of template graphics. The Media Sequencer connection defaults to localhost. To use a different host set the command line option -mse in Viz Template Wizard’s target path. Data Server The Data Server is installed as an application layer on top of the Viz Content Pilot database. The Data Server may be asked to handle requests from scripts to provide information on data elements, or to provide preview servers the information needed to resolve which scene and data that is to be rendered by the preview server. Data Server specifications Software Data Server 1.2 or later Oracle 10g Instant Client 32-bit Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Optional: Oracle 11g Instant Client 32-bit Page 40 Service(s) Vizrt Pilot Data Server Ports and Connections 8177 Operating system Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (recommended) Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Windows XP Professional 32-bit Windows 2008 server 32-bit Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3.3.4 Viz Engine Viz Engine is an extremely powerful rendering engine and at the core of Vizrt’s real-time graphics solutions. 2D and 3D animated scenes designed in Viz Artist are rendered in real-time as high-end animations, and the output can be SD or HD video. Viz Engine systems work with all other Vizrt products to provide users with the total solution for producing on-air graphics content. This section also contains information on the Preview Server options for Viz Engine. Note: Viz3.x is the standard and recommended Viz Engine to be used with VCP5.7 and later. Information specifically for Viz2.x users is listed in the Appendix of the Viz Content Pilot User’s Guide. To run Viz Engine as a program or preview (optional) machine, the following software and configuration is needed: Viz Engine specifications Software Viz Engine 3.5.1 or later (or Viz Engine 2.8 PL5 HotFix3) Viz DataPool 2.10 or later Viz World Client 12.0 or later (see Vizrt Maps) Extra Viz 2 or 3 Plug-ins (only for Viz 2.x) Optional: When used for local preview of video clips from Viz One, Viz Engine must be installed with video codecs (e.g. MPEG-4 codec and Haali Media Splitter) Hardware Licensed dongle Executable(s) viz.exe Ports and Connections 6100 (program and/or preview) 6800 (program when running two instances of Viz Engine on the same machine. Requires two graphics cards) 14300 (Viz Multiplexer) 50007-50010 (multiplexing) Local drive access Local preview: Read and write access to folder C:\%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore\Program Files \vizrt\ Network access Mapped drive to VOS still store folder Local preview: Mapped drive to Viz Engine data root Also see, Shared Data Operating system Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Windows XP SP2/SP3 (32-bit) and Windows 7 (64-bit) Page 41 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Machines setup for local preview need an OpenGL compatible graphics card and at least 512MB of memory (RAM) in addition to a reasonably new processor. Some graphics features on a preview machine will not be shown exactly as on a Viz Engine renderer. This is limitations in the OpenGL features on the graphics cards, and not related to Vizrt’s software. Preview Server The Preview Server option is used in situations where Viz Engine is used to provide frames for snapshot/thumbnail generation. A typical use case would be to connect multiple Newsroom Components to a preview server. Note that the Preview Server must be installed on a separate Viz Engine machine with its own license. Viz Engine Preview Server specifications 3.3.5 Software Preview Server 1.0 or later Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Viz Engine 2.8 or Viz 3.2 and later Hardware Licensed dongle Executable(s) PreviewServer.exe Ports and Connections 54000 is used when connecting over http using the REST interface. Network access Uses the Bonjour protocol to announce available services. Operating system Windows XP 32-bit Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit Viz Gateway Viz Gateway is Vizrt’s implementation of the MOS Protocol. It enables users of a Newsroom Computer System (NCS) to perform instant updates on playlists in Vizrt’s control applications (Viz Trio and VCP). The Viz Gateway is a framework built to help in newsroom integration tasks. Currently Viz Gateway support NCSs based on the MOS Protocol that is supported by the leading NCS vendors. Viz Gateway is in principle an extension to Media Sequencer; hence, any Viz Gateway supported version of the Media Sequencer may be configured to run as a Viz Gateway server using the Viz Gateway configuration tool. Viz Gateway specifications Page 42 Software Oracle 10g Runtime Client 32-bit Viz Gateway 1.0.10 or 2.0 (beta) Optional: Oracle 11g Runtime Client 32-bit Executable(s) scheduler.exe (if running in Console mode) Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3.3.6 Ports and Connections 10540 - 10541 (MOS lower and upper port) 10640 (DB event port) 10002 (Viz Gateway Controller Client) Services vizgwservice.exe Local drive access Access to Oracle client files and folders Read and write access to folder C:\%LOCALAPPDATA%\ VirtualStore\Program Files\vizrt\ Operating system Windows 2003 32-bit (recommended) Windows XP 32bit Viz Graphic Hub Viz Graphic Hub is delivered as a pre-installed system with recommended hardware and software. Viz Graphic Hub must be installed as a separate server; hence, it is not recommended to install anything else on the server that will cause the system to lose performance. Note: The database directory cannot reside on a remote machine. Viz Graphic Hub specifications Software Viz Graphic Hub 2.3 or later Executable(s) VizDbNamingService.exe VizDbTerminal.exe Ports and Connections 19392-19396 (in most cases the ports are configurable). Local drive access Read and write access to database folders (configurable). Operating system Windows XP 32-bit IMPORTANT! Do not run firewall or antivirus scanning software on the server. 3.3.7 Viz One Viz One allows users to ingest video clips for use in graphics and as full screen video, supporting both SD and HD output. Viz One can be used for finding and adding video to graphics using a range of different control applications for both preview and playout on Viz Engine. IMPORTANT! Before Viz One is used the first time, it is important to decide upon the playout format. Ingesting and storing other formats on Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 43 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Viz One may lead to an undefined behavior if they are different from what is configured on Viz Engine. Viz One specifications Software 3.3.8 Viz One 5.2 or later Media Sequencer The Media Sequencer is middleware software primarily used by control applications to connect to for example render engines, newsroom systems and video server (e.g. Viz One) systems. More concrete the Media Sequencer is a framework for defining and executing media elements. The media elements are defined in a tree-based schedule that the sequencer interprets. The schedule is saved as an XML file (named default.xml). The XML file, in short, contains the configuration settings and the playlists saved to it by the control application. The Media Sequencer’s scheduler has a high-resolution timer that manages a Virtual Document Object Model (VDOM) that contains the schedule. The scheduler also performs the actual execution of the schedule by interpreting elements describing actions from the VDOM. The communication between end user products and the Media Sequencer mostly goes through a protocol named TreeTalk. Media Sequencer specifications Software Oracle 10g Runtime Client 32-bit Media Sequencer 1.23 Optional: Oracle 11g Runtime Client 32-bit Executable(s) scheduler.exe (if running in Console mode) Ports and Connections 8580 (REST), 8594 (Media Sequencer TreeTalk) Services scheduler.exe Local drive access Access to Oracle client files and folders. Read and write access to the following folders: C:\%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore\Program Files \vizrt\ C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\ Application Data\Vizrt\Media Sequencer Engine Page 44 Network access Uses the Bonjour protocol to announce available services. Operating system Windows 2003 32-bit (recommended) Windows XP 32-bit Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3.3.9 Viz Multichannel The Viz Multichannel client is used by the traffic department to schedule programs that are controlled by automation systems in the master control room. It has a TCP connection to a Media Sequencer . The client gives the user access to creation, editing and playout of pages with graphics and video clips. Viz Multichannel specifications Software Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 or higher Windows XP Service Pack 1 or higher, or Microsoft Windows 7 (recommended) Viz Engine 3.5.1 or higher (lower versions do not support the Viz One integration). If you are using a local Viz Engine to preview video clips from Viz One, Viz Engine must be installed with video codecs (e.g. MPEG-4 codec and Haali Media Splitter) Viz One 5.4 or higher Media Sequencer 1.23 or higher Viz Multichannel 2.7 client Extra Viz 2 or 3 Plug-ins (only for Viz 2.x) Executable(s) PlaylistImporter.exe viz.exe VizRundown.exe Service(s) Viz Multichannel Schedule Collector Operating system Windows XP SP3 32-bit Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit 3.3.10 Viz Trio The Viz Trio client is the CG operator’s user interface. It has a TCP connection to a Media Sequencer . The client gives the user access to creation, editing and playout of pages with graphics. A Viz Engine for local preview renders the graphics within the Viz Trio client. Viz Trio specifications Software Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 or higher Windows XP Service Pack 1 or higher, or Microsoft Windows 7 (recommended) Viz Engine 3.5.1 or higher (lower versions do not support the Viz One integration). If you are using a local Viz Engine to preview video clips from Viz One, Viz Engine must be installed with video codecs (e.g. MPEG-4 codec and Haali Media Splitter) Viz One 5.2 or higher Media Sequencer 1.23 or higher Viz Trio 2.11 client Viz World Client 12.0 or later (see Vizrt Maps) Extra Viz 2 or 3 Plug-ins (only for Viz 2.x) Page 45 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Optional: Local Media Sequencer and Oracle 11g or 10g Runtime Client for connecting to the Viz Content Pilot Database . Executable(s) trio.exe trionle.exe viz.exe Operating system Windows XP SP3 32-bit Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit 3.3.11 Vizrt Maps Vizrt provides a map solution that offers branded maps and geographic animations using Viz World Classic and Viz World Client and Server. Viz World Classic Viz World Classic (previously known as Viz Curious Maps) is ideal for designers, program researchers, and producers who need to create high-quality map animations for news, documentary, promotional videos, and online. It is designed to be simple and intuitive to use, so that users with no specific training in computer graphics, or video editing, can create professional maps on demand and at short notice. Viz World Classic specifications Software Viz World Classic 13.0 or later Executable(s) WorldMaps.exe Ports and Connections 80, 8080 (Microsoft Bing and Imagery on Demand) 1947 Sentinel HASP Run-time Environment Operating system Windows XP 32-bit It is possible to run the server and design machine at the same time on the same machine, but it is likely that this will impact the server performance. Note: Minimum screen resolution is 1280x1024, and it has to be a display size of 96 DPI. Viz World Client and Server Viz World Client and Server integrates Viz World Classic mapping ability and database into Viz Artist and Viz Engine graphics. By utilizing a set of geographic referencing plug-ins and the maps produced by the client, the creation of location based graphics using maps, 3D objects, texts, and so on, is seamless. Viz World Client and Server specifications Page 46 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Software Viz World Client 12.0 or later Viz World Server 12.0 or later Executable(s) AxMapsClient.ocx (embedded editor) MapBuilder.exe MapConfigClient.exe ServerAllocator.exe ServerLauncher.exe Ports and Connections 101, 102, 103 80, 8080 (Microsoft Bing and Imagery on Demand). Operating system Windows XP 32-bit (client and server) Windows Server 2003 32-bit (server) See Also • Viz World Client and Server documentation 3.3.12 EVS Video Server Control An EVS Control Plug-in lets the Viz Engine control an EVS video server (like a tape deck over RS422). This gives Viz Engine the ability to load and control playback of EVS video server clips. This section contains information on the following topics: • Set Up Requirements • RS422 and XtenDD35 Setup • RS422 Controller Set Up Examples Set Up Requirements • The computer which runs the Viz Engine must be equipped with an RS422 controller that maps the controller ports to the Windows COM ports. • The RS422 port must be connected to an RS422 remote controller port of the EVS video server. • The EVS player, controlled by the RS422 port, must be set up to use the protocol XtenDD35 (No other protocol is currently supported). RS422 and XtenDD35 Setup 1. You need a RS422 controller that installs the RS422 port as a new COM port in Windows. 2. Set up the XtenDD35 protocol on the used remote port of the EVS video server. IMPORTANT! This must be done before an attempt to connect. 3. Manually set the Windows COM port settings to: • 38400 baud Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 47 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • 8 bytes • one stop bit • odd parity IMPORTANT! This must be set before Viz Artist is started. 4. Usually, a special RS422 cable is required to connect the controller to the EVS video server. It is recommended to use a connector cable to connect the RS422/DB9 connector to a standard RS422 cable. The RS422 cable should work with a normal EVS video server controller. 5. Every RS422 controller has a different pin-out setting and requires a different connector cable. The table below shows which signal of the RS422 controller must be connected to which pin on the EVS side: RS422 pin-out for the connector cable Signal type of RS422 controller Cable pin on EVS side RxD B+ (in) 7 TxD B+ (out) 3 TxD A- (out) 8 RxD A- (in) 2 Sig Ref / Gnd 1 RS422 Controller Set Up Examples The connection of a RS422 controller to the EVS is always different for each controller. Here are just two examples: Bluestorm LP Setup for a Bluestorm LP RS422 PCI card Viz Engine side (Bluestorm LP card) Page 48 EVS side Signal type Pin Pin Signal type TxD+ 2 3 RxD+ TxD- 3 8 RxD- RxD- 4 2 TxD- RxD+ 1 7 TxD+ Sig Ref 5 1 Sig Ref Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide ExSys EX-1303 USB to RS422 Setup for a ExSys EX-1303 USB to RS422 connector Viz Engine side (ExSys EX-1303) 3.4 EVS side Signal type Pin Pin Signal type TxD+ 2 3 RxD+ TxD- 1 8 RxD- RxD- 4 2 TxD- RxD+ 3 7 TxD+ Sig Ref 5 1 Sig Ref Shared Data Vizrt recommends having mapped drive letters for all your shared data. Mapped drives are commonly used for Clip playback, Viz Object Store images and Viz World cache folders. Note: It is possible to configure most systems to use Universal Naming Convention (UNC) as an alternative to mapped drives. Example: \\hostname\shared folder\resource 3.5 Ports and Connections This section contains information on the following topics: • Port Numbers • Multiplexing Port 3.5.1 Port Numbers The table below lists all default server and listening port numbers that are used. It is, if possible, recommended to run the system on a network without a firewall. Listening port numbers Listener Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Port(s) Descriptions and Comments Page 49 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Viz World Server 102-103 102 (TCP) is a Viz World Server listener port for Viz World Client connections when Server Allocator is not in use or only has one Viz World Server running. 103 (TCP) is a Viz World Server listener port for configuration tool connections to the first Viz World Server instance (as configurations are controlled by the first server instance). See also Vizrt Maps . Microsoft Bing and Imagery on Demand 80, 8080 Web interface and client software. For download of Microsoft Bing and Imagery on Demand images. (service: HTTP) Viz One Publisher 554 Real Time Streaming Protocol (service: TCP). Oracle database 1521 For clients that connect to the Viz Content Pilot Database . Sentinel HASP Run-time Environment 1947 The Sentinel HASP Run-time Environment uses port 1947 to communicate with local and remote components. This relates to hardlock dongles used with Viz World Classic. Video servers 5250 MVCP and Xlator control port for video servers. Note: this port is only necessary in combination with the video server extension (service: AVCP). Viz Engine 6100 6700 Ports are used by Media Sequencers that connect to a Viz Engine program and/or preview channel. 6800 Viz Engine’s default program and preview port is 6100. In a single channel setup where both program and preview output is on the same machine, the default preview port is set to 6800 to separate the program and preview channels. In a dual channel setup, the default program ports are 6100 and 6800 for channel 1 and channel 2, respectively. In a dual channel setup, when used for stereo production, the default program ports are 6700 and 6800 for channel 1 (left eye) and channel 2 (right eye), respectively. 6200 6210 6200 is used for controlling the Viz Trio client over a socket connection. Viz Trio 6210 is used by the Viz NLE plugin to establish a connection to Viz Trio. Page 50 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Newsroom Component 6220 Used by the Viz NLE Plugin to establish a connection to Viz Content Pilot’s Newsroom Component. Viz NLE Editor 6230 Used by the Viz NLE Plugin to establish a connection to the Viz NLE Editor (on Mac). Viz NLE Config 6240 Used by the Viz NLE plugin to establish a connection to the Viz NLE Configuration tool (on Mac). Ticker Service 6300 6301 Ticker handler in Media Sequencer connects to port 6300 for feedback from Ticker Service. Ticker handler in Media Sequencer connect to port 6301 when controlling the ticker via a socket connection. Viz Content Pilot 6484 Socket connection used for controlling Viz Content Pilot using macro commands. Viz Preview License server 7452 For the Newsroom Component using an unlicensed Viz Engine for local preview with a connection to the Viz Preview License server (is not the same as the Preview Server). Viz Content Pilot 8177 Data Server Used when connecting over http using the REST interface. Media Sequencer 8580 8594 For clients connecting to the Media Sequencer . 8580 is specifically used when connecting over http using the REST interface. Viz Gateway 10001 10002 For DB notification events. For Viz Gateway controller clients. 10540 10541 For MOS object updates. For MOS playlist updates. Viz World Server 10100 10200 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt 10100 (TCP) is a Server Allocator listener port for Viz World Client connections, and is only used for clients to get connection details about Viz World Server(s). The first client connection will always be diverted to port 102. In case of multiple server instances port numbers are assigned according to a predefined schema (i.e. 10101, 10102 for server instance 2 and 3 and so on). In case there is no Server Allocator, Viz World Server will itself switch to port 102. 10100 (UDP) is a Viz World Server listener port for Server Allocator communication. 10200 (UDP) is a Server Allocator listener port for Viz World Server communication. Page 51 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Both UDP ports are internal ports used between the servers. For more information, please see the Viz World Client and Server 11.1 User’s Guide and later. See also Vizrt Maps . Viz Content Pilot 10640 Used by Viz Gateway to establish a connection to Viz Content Pilot to send and receive updates on MOS messages (e.g. elements and playlists). Viz Engine Alternative port used to avoid conflicts with port 6100 (e.g. when using Viz Multiplexer). Port 6100 is normally used by renderers that are on air, hence, it is (e.g. when running Viz Content Pilot version 4 or Viz NLE Plugin towards Viz 2.x) recommended to use another port. Port 14300 is an optional port. The default 6100 may also be used if the renderer is not used on air. 14300 Viz Graphics Hub 1939219396 Ports in use when connecting to different Viz Graphics Hub components. Viz Connection Broker Connection to the Viz Connection Broker configuration interface (e.g. http:// localhost:21098/) 21098 Viz Engine Preview Server 3.5.2 Ports 50007 - 50009 are all Multiplexing Port that enable Viz Engine to work on other scenes in sessions that are used for preview purposes: 50007 MUX Isolated port: All connections to this port get its own session. 50008 MUX Shared port: All connections from one single host shares one session. 50009 MUX Fixed port: Same as shared port except that allocated resources are never cleared from memory. 50010 Still Preview port: Enables a user to request a preview of the next scene to be put on air while another scene is on air. 54000 Used when connecting over http using the REST interface. Multiplexing Port Multiplexing Ports Page 52 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Ports Viz Engine All other ports Still Preview Port MUX Isolated Port MUX Shared Port MUX Fixed Port The multiplexer functionality is an integral part of Viz Engine. When using Viz Engine a session management takes place internally, with one default session for the GUI and internal/external commands, and additional sessions created on-demand for the multiplexing ports or the preview port. With multiplex ports, other than the MUX Still Preview port, the Viz Engine state is only switched when a command is received, which means a new session is created; hence, ten consecutive commands from a client will only result in one state switch on the first command. With the MUX Still Preview port the state is switched when a command is received and immediately switched back to the main session such that on air rendering will not be hindered in any way. The MUX Fixed port is traditionally used by Viz Content Pilot 4’s Newsroom Component, and is the same as the MUX Shared Port, except that allocated resources are never cleared from memory. To avoid memory overload, it is recommended to clean up the Viz Engine regularly when this port is used. The MUX Shared Port is a shared port where all connections from one single host shares one session. It is most often used by Viz Trio and the Newsroom Component to display preview frames. The MUX Isolated Port is an isolated port where all connections get their own session. It is used, for example in an NLE setup, to deliver frames to the host NLE-system when rendering or scrubbing video clips with graphics. Using this port will also suppress bounding box commands. Note: The MUX Isolated Port cannot be used by the Newsroom Component. Note: All multiplexing ports are supported by all Viz Engine versions Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 53 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 54 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4 User Interface This chapter is a reference chapter for the user interface. It contains information relevant for the Viz Multichannel client when used in scheduling and master control room (MCR) mode. The main window is divided into the following sections: 1. The top area of the main window shows the main menu and toolbar. This area includes four tool bars: • Playlist Control • Event Control • Configuration • Clock 2. The left pane of the main window enables you to change the displayed information in the right pane. 3. The right pane displays information according to the selected topic in the left pane (e.g. the playlist, a view of Viz Graphics, or list of rules). This section contains information on the following topics: • Main Menu and Toolbar • Information Panel • Channels • Playlists • Templates and Pages • Video Clips • Actions • Template Import • Rules • Page Editor • Timeline Editor 4.1 Main Menu and Toolbar From the top the Viz Multichannel user interface offers you a main menu and below it a toolbar. This section contains information on the following topics: • Main Menu Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 55 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Toolbar 4.1.1 Main Menu • File • Exit: Closes the application • Tools • Analyze logs: allows you to open and analyze the As Run Logs. The As Run logs offers an easily readable overview of all elements run by the system. The logs are created by the Media Sequencer. • Reports Manager: allows you to create reports on multiple channels. • Generate Channels File: Generates a file containing information about channels file. This is required when running Viz Multichannel in MCR mode (see Master Control Workflow). • Actions • Cleanup Engines: Clears all loaded graphics from memory on the program and preview renderers for the output profile currently in use. It should be used before initializing a new playlist or in order to reinitialize the same playlist into the renderer’s memory. Note that cleanup commands will affect all clients that are connected to the same Media Sequencer, and using the same output profile (see Clear Layers). • Clear Layers: Allows you to clear all or specific layers (i.e. front, middle or back) for your channel’s configured Viz Engines. Note: This will still leave the graphics in memory (see Toolbar and Cleanup Engines). • Logo Page: allows you to take or take out the defined logo page. • Error Page: allows you to take or take out the defined error page. • Video-only Page: allows you to take or take out the defined video-only page. • Ticker: allows you to import or export Viz Ticker3D playlists (see Working with Ticker Actions). • Video bypass: When enabled, only video is shown. When disabled, video and graphics are shown. • Help • Help (F1): Launches the documentation in your preferred browser. • About: Shows the version of Viz Multichannel. See Also • As Run Logs • Channel and Playlist Reports • Toolbar Page 56 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4.1.2 Toolbar Icon Description Manually creates a new playlist for the selected channel. Note that you can only create one continuous playlist at a time. Imports a playlist from an external file in Viz Multichannel format. Exports the selected playlist to an XML file, in Viz Multichannel or any other selected format. See the procedure To export a playlist. Deletes the selected playlist. Opens the Configuration Interface window. Displays system status information. Allows you to take the channel’s default logo graphics on air. Allows you to take the channel’s default error message graphics on air. Allows you to take the channel’s default video sequence on air. The clock toolbar displays the current system time in 24-hour format. Left-click and hold the clock to display the local time offset. The local Viz Engine button allows you to connect to your locally installed Viz Engine for preview. It also shows the status of your local Viz Engine’s Viz Graphic Hub connection. The Clear Layers button enables you to clear everything that is loaded in memory on all Viz Engines in use by the currently active channel. If the status is red, no connections to Viz Engine or Viz Graphics Hub. If the status is yellow, there is no connection to either Viz Engine or Viz Graphics Hub. If the status is gray, both Viz Engine and Viz Graphics Hub is connected. For more information about any given status, see the log messages in your Information Panel. Clears all (i.e. front, middle or back) layers for your channel’s configured Viz Engines. Note: This will Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 57 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Icon Description still leave the graphics in memory (see Toolbar and Cleanup Engines). See Also • Create a Playlist 4.2 Information Panel The information panel shows useful information regarding the application and all log messages sent to the Viz Multichannel client, which makes the information panel useful for debugging. The left pane shows the status of the logging, application, and your local Viz Engine and Viz Graphics Hub connections. The right pane shows the log messages. At the bottom you have a Clear button for clearing the log messages. 4.3 Channels At the top of the left pane area is the channel selection combo-box. The channel selection combo-box lists all your different channels and allows you to switch between them. Channel Selection Combo Box Page 58 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide See Also • Working with Channel Settings 4.4 Playlists The Playlists pane displays the playlist(s) created for the selected channel. Viz Multichannel supports two types of playlists; continuous and broadcast day playlist. In addition it features a default playlist named Channel Pool. When a playlist is opened, the primary and secondary events will be displayed in the right pane. In the Playlist pane you can view all the playlists you have for a specific channel. Right-clicking on a playlist in the left pane displays a context menu of playlist commands: • Update Playlist: allows you to select one of the following update options: • Full Update: updates the entire playlist, primary and secondary events. • Full Update Without Event Deletion: updates the entire playlist, primary and secondary events; however, it will not delete already added events. • Update Times: Allows you to only update the event times according to the imported schedule. • Delete Playlist: Deletes the playlist. • Export Playlist: Exports the playlist to a native Viz Multichannel XML format. You can, as part of the export, also export the Graphics and Data. • Send Playlist: Sends the playlist to the master control room. • Generate Report: Generates an HTML report of the selected playlist. This section also contains information on the following topics: • Channel Pool • Playlist Toolbar • Playlist Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts • Playlist Columns • Playlist Context Menu • Playlist Filters Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 59 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4.4.1 Channel Pool The Channel Pool playlist is intended for those elements that may require special handling, such as a logo, trouble slide, breaking news, and so on. These may be are accessible to and used by e.g. external control applications in order to trigger elements that are not scheduled in a normal playlist. A separate channel pool is added for each channel. See Also • Playlist Toolbar • Playlist Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts • Playlist Columns • Playlist Context Menu • Playlist Filters 4.4.2 Playlist Toolbar The following table describes the different buttons, modes and status icons available to the playlist. Description When green the playlist is running. When gray the playlist has been stopped. When a playlist is active it is added to the Media Sequencer. Once added to the Media Sequencer it will start to check that all resources (e.g. videos and imagery) are available (see Available status) to Viz Engine for playout. This means, amongst other things, that videos are transferred from e.g. Viz One to Viz Engine. 100% available means that full screen video clips are available to Viz Engine for playout. 100% loaded means that all pages (i.e. the actual graphics including embedded video clips and imagery) are loaded and ready for playout. Enables you to run and stop the playlist. Note that in order to run the playlist successfully your elements must have a begin and end time Search enables you to search the description field of your playlist elements. To see the next result, press Enter. Page 60 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Description Predefined filters allow you to filter the playlist. Click the funnel icon to create, edit or delete filters. See how To add a playlist filter. Takes the selected playlist element (or group of elements) on air. Continues the animation of the playlist element. Takes the current playlist element off air. Initializes the playlist’s pages on the preview and program renderers. When all is done, the loaded status is set to 100%. See Playlist Context Menu on how to initialize the playlist and individual elements from the context menu. Refreshes the data in use by the pages. See Also • Channel Pool • Playlist Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts • Playlist Columns • Playlist Context Menu • Playlist Filters 4.4.3 Playlist Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts The table below describes all possible shortcuts you may use in order to manually control the playlist. Function Key Moves one or multiple secondary events to another primary event (up or down). Mouse Drag and drop Alt+Arrow Up Alt+Arrow Down Collapses the group Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Arrow+Left Double-click left mouse button Page 61 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Function Key Mouse Expands the group Arrow+Right Double-click left mouse button Expands all groups Ctrl++ Collapses all groups Ctrl+- Selects all events Ctrl+A Copies the selected event(s) Ctrl+C Opens the search Ctrl+F Pastes the copied event(s) Ctrl+V Cuts the selected event(s) Ctrl+X Selects individual events Ctrl+ Removes the selected event(s) Delete Makes an event’s Description field editable F2 Moves the focus to the top of the playlist Home Moves the focus to the end of the playlist End Moves the focus one section down Page Down Moves the focus one section up Page Up Selects events (up or down) Shift+ Left mouse button Click left mouse button x 2 on the Description field Left mouse button Shift+Arrow Up Shift+Arrow Down Displays the context menu Right mouse button See Also • Channel Pool • Playlist Toolbar • Playlist Columns • Playlist Context Menu • Playlist Filters Page 62 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4.4.4 Playlist Columns When the right pane displays the playlist, all events plus pages and actions scheduled together are displayed. To edit the playlist columns you have to check - for each column - the Edit Events check-box in your mapping table (see Table Columns). Right pane showing playlist The layout and visibility of the playlist columns can be customized by dragand-drop and by right-clicking one of the columns to select or deselect them. Note: If there are any errors found in the playlist, the primary element(s) that is causing the error will be shown in red. Hover the mouse over the red “no-entry” icon sign for the element(s) in error to find out what. The columns are: • Available: Shows if a video clip is available to your playout device. • Begin Time: Shows the element’s begin time (see also Duration and Offset, and External Data). • Channel: Shows the name of the currently selected device channel for any given element in the playlist (see Configuring Device Channels). • Description: Shows a description of the element. An arrow-head next to a description indicates other elements are group together with the event. This may be a primary event with pages and/or actions scheduled for it as secondary events. Click the arrow-head to expand and show the secondary events. • Duration: Shows the duration of the element (see also Begin Time and Offset). • End Time: Shows the end time (Begin Time + Duration) for each element. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 63 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Event ID: For playlist updates. It should be unique since it is the events identifier. If it is not unique, you must construct a unique identifier with other properties toward the internal property name. • Layer: Shows which logical layer the element will be playout out on (i.e. front, middle, or back). For pages the middle layer is the default. For full screen video clips, the back layer is the default. • Loaded: Shows the loaded status of pages on the Viz Engine program device channel. • Mark In: Shows the mark in point for a video clip set by the schedule. • Mark Out: Shows the mark out point for a video clip set by the schedule. • Media ID: Shows the ID of the element. • Offset: Shows the offset of the secondary event relative to its primary event (see also Begin Time and Duration). • Page Name: Shows the name of the page (i.e. secondary event). • Template Description: Displays the template name as saved in Viz Artist. • Template ID: Displays the template name as saved in Viz Artist. • Thumbnail: Shows a snapshot/thumbnail of the template used in a Secondary Event. • Store as Default: Stores the current column setup as the default column setup. • Use Default: Reverts the current column setup back to the current default column setup (see Store as Default). • Auto Fit Columns: Fits the currently displayed columns to the space available. See Also • Channel Pool • Playlist Toolbar • Playlist Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts • Playlist Context Menu • Playlist Filters 4.4.5 Playlist Context Menu Right-clicking the playlist opens the following context menu: • Direct Take: Takes the playlist element directly to air. If the element is available and/or loaded it will play immediately. If not, the element will be taken on air as soon as it is. • Continue: Continues the animation of the graphics if the graphics has a continue point. • Out: Takes the element off air (i.e. hard cut). Page 64 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • External Preview: Previews the element on your configured preview channel (see Configuring Device Channels and Configuring Playout Devices). • Initialize (see Playlist Toolbar). • Playlist: Initializes the entire playlist. • Element: Initializes the selected playlist element. • Refresh Data (see Page Content Filling). • Playlist: Refreshes data for the entire playlist. • Element: Refreshes data for the selected playlist element. • Remove: Removes an element from the playlist. This action cannot be undone. • Add Primary Event: Adds a primary event to the playlist. • Launch Timeline Editor: Launches the Timeline Editor, see Working with Video Clips. • Tree: • Select All: Selects all events • Select Inverse: Inverts your current selection, selecting all other elements • Select None: Cancels all selections • Expand All: Expands all primary events to showing secondary events • Collapse All: Collapses all primary events hiding secondary events • Hide Empty Groups: Hides all empty groups • Wrap Text: Wraps the text according to the column width • Font...: Allows you to set your own system font for the playlist See Also • Channel Pool • Playlist Toolbar • Playlist Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts • Playlist Columns • Playlist Filters 4.4.6 Playlist Filters The Playlist allows you to add filters to quickly sort the list of events. To add a playlist filter 1. Click the funnel icon, and from the menu click New.... Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 65 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • This will open the Edit filter window. 2. Enter a Filter name. 3. Select whether the filter should apply if: • All conditions match, or • One of the conditions matches, or • None of the conditions match. 4. Check whether or not to Filter on Group 5. Continue to define your filter by adding one or multiple conditions. • As you define your conditions the list of events will be filtered, helping you to verify that the filter is configured correctly. To edit or delete a playlist filter 1. Select your filter 2. Click the funnel icon, and from the menu click Edit... or Delete. See Also • Channel Pool • Playlist Toolbar • Playlist Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts • Playlist Columns • Playlist Context Menu 4.5 Templates and Pages In the templates and pages pane you can view all imported templates, and pages based on those templates. You can also filter your templates and pages view, and add content to pages using the Page Content Filling Window. This section contains information on the following topics: • Template Context Menu • Page Context Menu • Page Content Filling Window Page 66 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Database Connection Window • Template and Page Filters 4.5.1 Template Context Menu Right-clicking a template opens the following context menu: • Open in Editor: Opens the template editor which allows you to create a new page based on the template. • Create Page: Creates a page based on the selected template. The page can be opened in the template editor for editing. • Delete Template: Deletes the selected template/data. • Add To Favorites: Adds the template to your pre-defined Favorites filter. • Send Template: Sends the selected template(s) to the master control room. This option is only enabled if the Remote Host is defined in the General Settings. Update service settings per template • Enable Update Service: Enables you to assign an update service for the selected template. • Disable Update Service: Disables the update service for the selected template. • Edit Update Service: Edit the update service for the selected template by setting the service URI. A timeout on the available commands (i.e. take, preview and update) may be set as well. This will delay the given command sent by the Media Sequencer to the Viz Engine. See Also • Update Service settings per channel 4.5.2 Page Context Menu Right-clicking a page opens the following context menu: • Open in Editor: Opens the template editor which allows you to update the page or save it as a new page based on the same template. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 67 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Save Page as...: Creates a page based on an existing page. The page can be opened in the template editor for editing. • Delete Page: Deletes the selected page(s). • Add to/Remove from Favorites: Adds or Removes the page from the predefined Favorites filter, see how To add a template or page filter. • Send Page: Sends the page to the defined remote hosts, see General Settings. • Reload Page: Reloads the scene referenced by the page on the device defined as the program Viz Engine, see Configuring Device Channels. • Set as Logo Scene: Sets a selected page as the default Logo Scene that can be controlled from the Toolbar. • Set as Error Scene: Sets a selected page as the default Error scene that can be controlled from the Toolbar. • Set as Video-only Scene: Sets the selected video scene as the default Video-only scene that can be controlled from the Toolbar. • External Preview: Shows the scene on your defined preview Viz Engine. • Take: Immediately takes the page on-air on your program Viz Engine. • Continue: Continues the page on-air on your program Viz Engine. • Out: Immediately takes the page off-air (hard cut) on your program Viz Engine. Right-clicking the column headers allows you to customize your templates and pages view. • Description: Shows the template or page description. • Duration: Shows the duration of the template or page. Click the area and type to set a default duration for the page. • Layer: Defines the layer the scene should play in. Available options are Front, Middle, and Back. Default is Middle. • Name: Shows the name of the template or page. • Template Name: For Pages an additional column shows the template associated with a given page. • Thumbnail: Shows a thumbnail image of the template or page. • Store as Default: Allows you to arrange and store your columns as a default column arrangement. • Use Default: Reverts to your current default column arrangement. • Auto Fit Columns: Automatically fits the columns to the available space. Page 68 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4.5.3 Page Content Filling Window • Self: Gets information from the primary event the page resides under. This will disable the Channel, Playlist, Item and Conditions options. • Channel: Allows you to select the relevant channel if you want to populate your pages with primary event content from another channel. • Playlist: Allows you to select another playlist than the current. If you are working on the current playlist do not select this option. For selecting other playlists than the current, your options are: • By Date: Reads from the playlist of the date selected. • By Week Day: Reads from the next day selected. • By Relative Day: Reads from the playlist as many days in the future as selected. Select 1 for the following day, 2 for two days after the current date’s playlist, etc. • Item: Allows you to select an item from another playlist than the current. If you are working on the current playlist do not select this option. For selecting other items than from the current playlist, your options are: • By Time: The first primary event that occurs after the time entered. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 69 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Relative Item: Typically used for reading information from the running playlist, either before or after the current primary event in the playlist. Select 1 for reading items from the Before or After the current program in the playlist. Select 2 for reading items two places Before or After on the list, etc. If the Self option is selected, the Item option will always read from the primary event the page resides under. • Conditions: Looks for the first primary event that meets the conditions in the table. Any entry prefixed with secondary_ indicates it is to check data from the page (itself) and not the parent (primary element). This allows you to use secondary data (e.g. secondary_begin_time) to find relevant primary event data, giving more dynamic conditions. • Attribute: Allows you to select an attribute representing the actual field in the selected playlist’s event. The fields available depend on what was defined in the General Settings. • House Id: Retrieves Viz One assets based on this ID. When set, the page will have a valid link to a video clip in the Viz One for promo playout etc. • Result string: Displays the resulting string based on your configuration of the respective fields. It can be edited. See Also • Page Content from Playlist Meta Data • Page Content from Database Lookups 4.5.4 Database Connection Window • Database Connection: Allows you to select from your list of preconfigured Database Connections. • Table: Allows you to select a table from your selected database. • SELECT Columns: Allows you to select a column from your selected table. • WHERE Column: Allows you to select from where the value should be selected. • Value: Allows you to set which value that should be selected from the WHERE column. • Relative Attr...(button): Allows you to select a relative attribute from the Page Content Filling Window. • Custom SQL: Allows you to write a custom SQL query with multiple dynamic mappings (e.g. Select Field1 from ComingSoon Where Field4=’PG-13’ AND Field2=’23.12.2013’). • Build SQL (button): Builds the query based on your previous selections. • Set to: Allows you to select which page field that should be updated by the query. Ensure that the SELECT columns match the page fields! • Activate Item on Success: Ensures that playlist items will be marked as active if the query is successful and data fields have been populated. Leave Page 70 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide it unchecked if you do not want the success of the query to have any effect on the status of a playlist item. • Inactivate Item on Failure: Ensures that playlist items will be marked as inactive if the query fails and data fields have not been populated. Leave it unchecked if you do not want the failure of the query to have any effect on the status of a playlist item. • Deactivate if at least on Field is Empty: Ensures that playlist items will be marked as inactive when one of the fields the query returns is empty. Leave it unchecked if you do not want an empty field to have any effect on the status of a playlist item. See Also • Page Content from Database Lookups • Page Content Filling Window 4.5.5 Template and Page Filters To add a template or page filter The Templates and Pages panel allows you to add filters to quickly sort the list of templates or pages. 1. Click the funnel icon, and from the menu click New.... • This will open the Edit filter window. 2. Enter a Filter name. 3. Select if the filter should apply when: • All conditions match, or • One of the conditions matches, or • None of the conditions match. 4. Continue to define your filter by adding one or multiple conditions. • As you define your conditions the list of templates or pages will be filtered, helping you to verify that the filter is configured correctly. Note: Available also is a built-in Favorites filter (see Template Context Menu and Page Context Menu). To edit or delete a template or page filter 1. Select your filter 2. Click the funnel icon, and from the menu click Edit... or Delete. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 71 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide See Also • Template Import • Working with Templates and Pages 4.6 Video Clips The Video Clips button opens up a search frame allows you to search for video clips on Viz One. The search field allows you to use common search operators such as: • Search for a word: soccer • Search for an exact word or phrase: “world football championship” • Search for either word: soccer OR football • Search for both words: soccer AND football • Search using an asterisk (*) to “fill in the blanks”: foot*, *ball*, *ball Expanding the search view you will get more Search and Filter Options where you may also search for content from, to, or within (from - to) specific dates. Keywords, when added to Viz One, are filters you can add on top of your search. Note: Keywords are not supported by Viz One 5.4 and older. Context Menu • Sort By: Displays a sub menu with sort options. • Name/Name (Descending): Sorts by name in ascending and descending order. • Registration Date / Registration Date (Descending): Sorts by registration date in ascending and descending order. • Show Extra Metadata: Switches the media icons to display meta data such as complete filename, creation date, and clip length and so on. • Launch Viz PreCut: Opens the selected video clip(s) in Viz PreCut for editing. • Launch Viz EasyCut: Opens the selected video clip(s) in Viz EasyCut for editing. • Edit Metadata: Enables the user to edit the meta data for the selected clip. Page 72 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Preview: Previews the video clip in your default browser. Search and Filter Options • Search field: Combo box for entering your search criteria. Previously entered search criteria are remembered per session. • From/To: Filters the search result based on From and To registration dates. • Keywords: Filters the search result based on keywords. Note: Keywords are not supported by Viz One 5.4 and older. See Also • Viz One • Viz One Integration 4.7 Actions Viz Multichannel’s Actions pane allows you to define General Purpose Output (GPO) commands, Viz Ticker 3D commands and Viz Engine commands. GPO commands are handled by Media Sequencer. Both Viz Ticker 3D and Viz Engine commands can be used in Viz Multichannel to automate certain tasks. The commands behave as secondary events, in that you can also apply rules and schedule them in the playlist. Ticker actions are accessible from the Actions panel seen in the left pane. Ticker actions integrates tickers from Viz Ticker 3D. Once the ticker has been created, it can be imported into Viz Multichannel. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 73 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Actions can for example include: • Playing specific data elements on air • Clearing specific render layer • Sending Stop, Continue, Take and other such commands to a specific render layer • Associated with playlists as secondary events Note: The Media Sequencer can only handle one ticker at a time. Therefore when working in the Traffic Department Workflow, and working with more than one channel, the Ticker actions are virtual, meaning that you can schedule them in playlists, but not actually preview them. See Also • Working with Actions • Working with Ticker Actions • Rules • Working with Rules 4.8 Template Import If you click the Template Import button you can, in the left pane, view the contents of your Viz Graphics Hub and select scenes to import. Note that in order to view the content you need to have a working Viz Graphics Hub connection. For information on how to configure your local Viz Engine Database connection settings see the Viz Engine Administrator’s Guide. See Also • Templates and Pages • Working with Templates and Pages Page 74 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4.9 Rules This is the area where you set up playlist rules. See Working with Rules for details. Clicking the Rules button shows all current rules in the right pane. • Description: Allows you to define a name for the rule. This can help differentiate among several rules applied to a single page or action. • Pages and Actions: Sets the page or action on which the rule will be applied. • Is Reference: If required, associates the page, Viz or GPI command as referenced (see Referenced Pages and Referenced Actions). • Relative To: Allows you to set the time relative to the offset that a page or action will be scheduled. Your options are: • Start: Schedules the page or action relative to the event’s start time. • End: Schedules the page or action relative to the events’s end time. • Program Duration: Schedules the page or action relative to the event’s duration, as a percentage. Selecting this option enables a slider that allows you to configure the position in the program when you want the secondary event to be added. • Positive: Determines if the number is positive (checked) or negative (not checked). A page may be added at 00:02:00:00 (negative) which allows it to be added before a primary event is started (i.e. like a count-down timer). • Offset: Allows you to set the offset time. Offsets may be a positive or negative number (see Positive option). The format is hh:nn:ss:ff. • Configuring a negative value will push the page into another primary event, and not the one it originally resided under. This will correctly place the page with the proper offset to the original primary event. • For example, if a 1 minute count-down timer page is added that counts until a specific program starts (with an unknown number of programs before), you can configure the offset to be 1 minute and uncheck the Positive option in order for it to be a negative value. The page will then be inserted correctly at the correct offset, no matter how many previous primary events there might be. • Add Continue: Allows you to select the check box if the page (i.e. the graphics) has been designed with a stop point, and a Continue action is needed for full execution. • Con. Offset: Sets the offset time for a Continue action, if required by the previous step. See Also • Working with Rules Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 75 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Actions • Working with Actions • Working with Ticker Actions 4.10 Page Editor Viz Multichannel basically offers two types of content editors; a page editor and a Timeline Editor. The page editor, which this section will describe, allows you to edit secondary events such as graphics and graphics with embedded video clips. Depending on the design of the graphics and the functionality it exposes the available options for editing the content will change. This section contains information on the following topics: • Tab Fields • Graphics Control Buttons 4.10.1 Page 76 Tab Fields Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide The Page Editor’s left pane shows the available tab fields (i.e. the editable elements of the graphics) for the page or template currently loaded. Click on a tab field to display the available options. When a tab field for video elements is selected you will be able to search for, filter, and add Video Clips to your graphics. A page containing video elements will automatically search for the video and preview it. • Save: Overwrites the page using the existing save name. • Save As: Saves the template or page as a new element. • Cancel: Cancels all changes. • Post: Switches to post rendering mode (only visible in page editing mode). • Editor: Switches to page editing mode (only visible in post rendering mode). See Also • Graphics Control Buttons • Video Clips • Page Content from Playlist Meta Data • Page Content from Database Lookups 4.10.2 Graphics Control Buttons The preview window shows a WYSIWIG (what you see is what you get) representation of the graphics and video clip. In addition it will show the defined title and safe area and the bounding boxes. Bounding boxes are related to the graphics scene’s editable elements (see the Tab Fields section). For the full screen video preview there is also a Timeline Editor. Above the Preview window is a button bar with some buttons and a timeline display: Description Starts the scene animation currently loaded in the local preview. Continues the scene animation currently loaded if it contains any stop points. Stops the scene animation. With the Time slider it is possible to scrub the timeline manually by clicking in the value field, keeping the button pressed and moving the mouse horizontally back and forth. The cursor will change to an arrow to indicate that the time value can be changed. Show or hides the Title Area in the Preview window. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 77 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Description Shows or hides the Safe Area in the Preview window. Shows or hides the Bounding Box for the tab field currently selected in the Preview window. The three buttons can be used to preview graphics in three different modes. The first shows an RGB version of the graphics with a default background color (black). The second shows the Key version of the graphics. The third shows the graphics keyed on top of a still image. Currently not supported by Viz Multichannel 2.7. See Also • Timeline Editor 4.11 Timeline Editor Viz Multichannel basically offers two types of content editors; a Page Editor and a Timeline Editor. The Timeline Editor, which this section describes, allows you to edit secondary events such as video clips and video clips with embedded graphics. To add graphics to the video timeline 1. Page 78 Open the playlist. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2. Add a video clip to a primary event. 3. Drag and drop single or multiple pages onto the video clip. • When adding graphics on top of video clips you should always make sure you have set Duration beforehand. If not they will not show up in the timeline as the default duration is 00:00:00:00. 4. Double-click the video clip. 5. Edit the duration of the graphic(s). • The Duration in the playlist changes simultaneously. 6. Close the window. To remove graphics from the video timeline 1. Open the playlist. 2. Expand the video element in the playlist, exposing the time graphics elements. 3. Select the graphics element and press Delete, or 4. Right-click the element and from the appearing context menu select Remove. See Also • Page Editor • Video Clips • Working with Video Clips • Video Preview Configuration Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 79 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 80 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5 Configuration Interface Viz Multichannel settings are split in three distinct categories; global, default channel and channel. • Global settings apply to all channels. • Default channel settings define those settings you consider default. Note that default channel settings can only be used to revert specific channel settings to default, and should not be treated as fallback or failover settings. • Channel settings define the output channels connected to your scheduling system. Most of the configuration work is done on a per channel basis. When configuring your channel settings, ensure that you have selected the requisite channel beforehand. Most settings are set using the Settings Window. Settings Window Notice that at the right of each group, there are two buttons. The left button is called Get From Default. It takes the default settings for the group as they are set for the default channel. The right button is called Set to Default. It takes the current settings and makes them into the default settings. All default settings are stored in the Default Channel, and can also be edited there. All new channels automatically inherit the default settings, which can later be edited accordingly. This section contains information on the following topics: Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 81 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Global Settings • Local Settings • Working with Channel Settings • Channel Settings • Video Configuration 5.1 Global Settings Viz Multichannel allows you to configure specific Channel Settings as well as global settings that affect all channels. The following sections contain reference information on global import/export, external devices and logging settings: • Automatic Import • Viz One • Preview Server • Logging See Also • Local Settings • Working with Channel Settings • Channel Settings • Video Configuration 5.1.1 Automatic Import This setting is a global setting for all channels, hence, in order for any channel to automatically import a schedule you need to enable automatic import for each channel (see General Settings). • Automatic Import Interval: Select the interval at which automatic imports of schedules will occur. • Playlist Importer Folder Path: Defines the path, on the remote machine, where the Playlist Importer is installed. The Playlist Importer is by default installed on the Media Sequencer machine. • Playlist Importer Log level: Sets the log level of the Playlist Importer. See the Playlist Importer’s Startup Parameters. Page 82 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5.1.2 Viz One Viz One settings are global settings used by all channels sharing the same Media Sequencer. In order to configure these settings you need to select Global Settings from the channel drop-list. The Viz One option sets the Viz One connection for the Media Sequencer. The Viz One connection enables the Media Sequencer to request transfer of media to Viz Engine for playout. • URI Prefix: Sets the prefix to either http or https. • Host name: Defines the host name for your Viz One. You can define the Viz One server instance based on either an IP address or hostname. It is recommended to use hostname. Note: Whatever option is being selected (e.g. IP vs. hostname or hostname vs. domain name), choose one or the other, and stick with it throughout the entire setup process. • Username/Password: Searches Viz One using the entered username and password if authentication on the Viz One is enabled. Note: For Viz Multichannel 2.7 it is recommended to not use authentication. Default username and password is admin and admin if authentication is used. To configure a Viz One connection 1. Make sure that Viz One is enabled 2. Enter your Viz One host name 3. Enter a Username and Password 4. Click Apply 5. Click OK, select the Video Clips options and search for a clip to verify your Viz One connection See Also • Viz One Integration Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 83 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5.1.3 Preview Server With the Preview Server Viz Multichannel can request frames of playlist elements creating visual references in the playlist and when adding graphics to secondary event video clips. This configuration requires a running Preview Server. Note that the Preview Server setup must be installed on a separate machine. The Preview Server itself (see http://:21098) is configured to connect to a pool of Viz Engines, and uses port number 54000 as its default listener port. The settings window has an On/Off switch. You can configure settings with the device in on or off mode. When off, the settings will take effect the next time the device is turned on. Note: It is recommended to run the Preview Server on a designated Viz Engine machine. • Preview Server: Defines the host name and port number for your Preview Server. To configure Preview Server 1. Make sure that Preview Server is enabled 2. Enter your Preview Server host name and port number (e.g. http:// :54000) 3. Click Apply See Also • Preview Server requirements • Preview Server installation 5.1.4 Logging The As Run Log logs all take commands sent to the Media Sequencer. When enabled, the log can be stored as a standard text output (i.e. one line per take) or in a more structured JSON format for further processing. For more information (e.g. how to customize log entries), please see the Media Sequencer manual’s As Run Log section. Page 84 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Note: The log does not guarantee that something was On Air. To enable As Run Log When running Viz Multichannel in MCR mode you have (in most cases) the Media Sequencer running on a separate machine (see Startup Parameters). Most often on the same machine as your Viz Engine. 1. Select Enable. 2. Enter the log path for your remote Media Sequencer. 3. Select Standard or Extended (Json). 4. Click OK. See Also • As Run Logs 5.2 Local Settings This section contains information on how to configure local Viz Multichannel client settings: • Local Viz Engine See Also • Global Settings • Working with Channel Settings • Channel Settings • Video Configuration 5.2.1 Local Viz Engine In your Viz Multichannel program folder you will find the VizRundown.ini file. This file allows you to add specific settings (seen below) for your local Viz Engine renderer. [LocalVizEngine] VizEngineConnectionTimeout=30000 ScenesInVizEngineMemory=8 IsRendererForceSleep=true • Viz Engine Connection Timeout: Sets the Viz Engine connection timeout in milliseconds (e.g. 30000). If Viz Engine is not sending a response within the set amount of milliseconds, an error report will be displayed in the Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 85 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Information panel showing its status, and the Viz Engine connection icon turns red. If it times out you will have to restart it. By default the connection timeout is set to 30000 ms (30 sec). See also how To restart the Viz Engine connection. • Scenes in Viz Engine Memory: Sets the maximum number (0-8) of Viz Artist scenes to live in the Viz Engine preview memory. This functions as a cache for previewing templates. If a lot of manual template previewing and editing is expected, this number can be higher. 0 means unlimited. The recommended default is 8. • Renderer Force Sleep: Set this option (true/false) if an NVIDIA G-force graphics card is installed on the Viz Multichannel client machine. Otherwise the machine might, in some cases, use a lot of CPU power. To restart the Viz Engine connection • Click the Viz Engine connection icon and from the appearing context menu select Restart Viz. 5.3 Working with Channel Settings This section and its sub-sections explain how to configure a channel. It will give you an ordered overview of the different configuration topics that will help you configure the system more quickly. The following sections contain information on how to create new, delete, export or import complete channel settings: • Create a Channel • Remove a Channel • Export a Channel • Import a Channel • Create Primary Event Filter • Create Database Connections See Also • Global Settings • Local Settings • Channel Settings • Video Configuration Page 86 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5.3.1 Create a Channel Initial settings are defined by the default channel. To check these settings, select the Default Channel from the Channel drop-list. To add a new channel 1. Open the Settings window 2. Click the tab to the right of the Add button, and select New Channel. You are prompted to enter the new channel’s name. 5.3.2 3. Enter the channel name without spaces (a-z, A-Z, 0-9), and click OK. 4. Proceed to configure the Channel Settings. Remove a Channel To remove a channel 1. Open the Settings window. 2. From the Channels combo box, select the channel you wish to remove. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 87 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3. Click the tab to the right of the Add button, and select Remove Channel. You are asked if you are sure you want to remove the selected channel. 4. Click Yes. The last removed channel is automatically saved to a .bkp file, which can later be reimported back into Viz Multichannel. The file is located in the backup channel folder found in the Viz Multichannel program folder. 5.3.3 Export a Channel To export a channel as an XML file 1. Open the Settings window. 2. From the Channels combo box, select the channel you wish to export. 3. Click the tab to the right of the Add button, and select Export Channel. You are asked if you want to include the playlists and templates along with the selected channel’s settings. 5.3.4 4. Click Yes or No, as required. 5. Enter a file name and click Save. Import a Channel To import a channel from an XML file Page 88 1. Open the Settings window. 2. Click the tab to the right of the Add button, and select Import Channel. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3. Select the XML file and click Open. • You are prompted to confirm what parameters to override. 4. Select one of the following: • Contents • Settings • Both Note: If the imported channel uses the same path to the Viz Graphic Hub as the original, you will be prompted to confirm the overwrite of templates. 5.3.5 Create Primary Event Filter To create a primary event filter 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Settings button to open the Settings window. 3. Select Filtering Options. 4. Under the Primary Event Filtering section click the Add Condition icon. 5. Click the Attribute field to select an attribute from the Field Name column. • These relate to both the Primary Mapping Settings and the Secondary Mapping Settings. 6. Click the Operator field and make a selection (see table below). 7. Click the Value field and enter a time, number or text. Time format is hh:nn:ss:ff. For a list of operator options, see: = equal to > greater than Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 89 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide < less than >= greater than or equal to <= less than or equal to <> different from See Also • Filtering Options 5.3.6 Create Database Connections Before populating Page Content from Database Lookups you must first configure the connection to the external data source. You can then proceed with mapping according to your data source. For more information about the configuration interface, see the Database Connections section. This section contains the following procedures: • To configure the connection to an external data source • To map from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet • To map from an Microsoft Access database • To map from a Microsoft SQL Server database • To map from a MySql database • To map from an Oracle database • To map from a text file To configure the connection to an external data source Page 90 1. In the Settings dialog, click Database Connections. 2. Click the New Connection button. 3. Enter a name for the connection. 4. Enter the connection string provided by your DBA. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5. Click OK. To map from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet Note: The file should only contain data of type text. 1. Perform the procedure To configure the connection to an external data source. 2. Click the Build Connection String button. • The DB Connection window is displayed. 3. For Connection Type, select Excel 2003 or Excel 2007. 4. Click the ellipsis to select the desired Excel file. 5. Click the Test Connection button. 6. If the test is successful, click OK. DSN=Excel Files;DBQ=C:\Temp\Movies.xls;UID=; PWD=; Note: An Excel spreadsheet is available in the SampleContent folder (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\vizrt\Viz Multichannel\SampleContent \Database). To map from an Microsoft Access database Note: The file should only contain data of type text. 1. Perform the procedure To configure the connection to an external data source. 2. Click the Build Connection String button • The DB Connection window is displayed. 3. For Connection Type, select Access (accdb) or Access (mdb). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 91 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4. Click the ellipsis to select the desired Access file. 5. Enter the database’s username and password. 6. Click the Test Connection button. 7. If the test is successful, click OK. Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};DBQ=C:\Temp\Movies.mdb;UID=; PWD=; To map from a Microsoft SQL Server database 1. Perform the procedure To configure the connection to an external data source. 2. Click the Build Connection String button. • The DB Connection window is displayed. 3. For Connection Type, select SQL Server. 4. Enter the database’s server name, using the following format: : or :. 5. Enter the database’s username and password. 6. Click the Test Connection button. 7. If the test is successful, click OK. Driver={SQL Server};Persist Security Info=True;Mode=ReadWrite;SERVER=:;UID=; PWD=; To map from a MySql database 1. Perform the procedure To configure the connection to an external data source. 2. Click the Build Connection String button. • The DB Connection window is displayed. Page 92 3. For Connection Type, select MySql. 4. Enter IP address or hostname of the database. 5. Enter the name of the database. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 6. Enter the username and password for the database. 7. Click the Test Connection button. 8. If the test is successful, click OK. Driver={MySQL ODBC 5.1 Driver};SERVER=;DATABASE=;USER=; PASSWORD=; To map from an Oracle database 1. Perform the procedure To configure the connection to an external data source. 2. Click the Build Connection String button. • The DB Connection window is displayed. 3. For Connection Type, select Oracle (native) or Oracle (odbc). 4. Enter the database’s server name, using the following format: : or :. 5. Enter the database’s username and password. 6. Click the Test Connection button. 7. If the test is successful, click OK. DRIVER={Microsoft ODBC for Oracle};SERVER=:;UID=; PWD=; To map from a text file 1. Perform the procedure To configure the connection to an external data source. 2. Create a folder for the text file database, for example C:\Channel32DB. 3. In the folder, create two files, such as Channel32DB.txt and Schema.ini. The structural details for the Schema.ini file can be found at: • http://www.connectionstrings.com/Providers/microsoft-text-odbc-driver • http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms709353(v=VS.85).aspx 4. In Channel32DB.txt enter a database header for mapping. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 93 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5. In Schema.ini: • [v-ind.txt] : Name of txt file database • Format=TabDelimited : This example uses TabDelimited • ColNameHeader=True : If using a header (recommended), set to True. Note: Another option is not to use a header, in which case you set this parameter to False; the column mapping will then be F1, F2, F3 and F4. MaxScanRows=0 CharacterSet=ANSI 6. In the Database Connections window, enter a connection string for the text file database, in the following format Driver={Microsoft Text Driver (*.txt; *.csv)};Dbq=C:\Channel1_DB;Extensions=asc,csv,tab,txt; Note: For further connection string detail, see: http:// www.connectionstrings.com/textfile. 7. Click OK. See Also • Database Connections 5.4 Channel Settings Viz Multichannel allows you to define Global Settings as well as channelspecific settings that only has an effect on a per channel basis. The following sections contain reference information on channel specific settings: General Settings • Basic Settings Page 94 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Timezone Settings • Miscellaneous Import and Export Settings • General Settings • Day Switch Options • Filtering Options • Primary Mapping Settings • Secondary Mapping Settings • Update Settings • Export Settings • Graphic Settings External Triggering External triggering is relevant to the control room environment as the protocols involved may be used in the actual broadcast process. Note that for the traffic department, external triggering is (in general) not taken into consideration. On the right corner of the Settings window, there is an On/Off switch. You can configure settings with the devices on or off. When off, the settings will take effect the next time the device is turned on. This section contains information on the following topics: • GPI • VDCP • Intelligent Interface • TCP External Data Sources • Database Connections • Update Service Playout Configuration Viz Multichannel is able to handle multiple TV channels. In order to accomplish this you need to define separate configuration settings per channel. Hence, as part of the configuration you also need to define playout devices. Playout is defined as graphics and/or video output. For your graphics output you assign Viz Engines. For video output you can either assign Viz Engines or other video playout servers that are able to handle your video output. For more information, see the Graphics Workflow sections on Upstream and Downstream workflows. • Forked Execution Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 95 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Configuring Device Channels • Configuring Playout Devices See Also • Global Settings • Local Settings • Working with Channel Settings • Video Configuration 5.4.1 Basic Settings This section contains information on the following topics: • Channel Format • Triggering Control • Playlist Date Management Channel Format Format settings are most relevant for Viz Multichannel in master control room (MCR) mode. • Screen Dimension: Defines the screen dimension. Options are: • SD NTSC: 720 x 486 • SD PAL/SECAM: 720 x 576 • HD 720: 1280 x 720 • HD 1080: 1920 x 1080 • Aspect Ratio: Defines the aspect ratio. Options are 4:3 and 16:9. This setting also affects the aspect ratio of the template editor. • Frames per Second: Defines the frame rate at which the output will be displayed. The Media Sequencer may be responsible for the entire playlist or secondary events only (i.e. when an external system controls the primary events). In such situations it is important that this setting is correct, or else the Media Sequencer will not calculate the events correctly creating a frame inaccurate system. See Triggering Control. Triggering Control Page 96 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Triggering control is only relevant for Viz Multichannel in master control room (MCR) mode. • Timed Playout: Allows the Media Sequencer to control the triggering of the playlist’s timed events. • External Triggering: Allows the automation system to trigger the playlist’s timed events. • Triggering: Allows you to define the level at which the automation system will have control over the timed events. • If the primary events option is selected, the Media Sequencer will trigger the secondary events based on offsets to the timed primary events. • If the secondary and video events option is selected, the automation system is in full control of the playlist and the Media Sequencer will act as a slave. Playlist Date Management • All events in one playlist: When selected, Viz Multichannel will only allow one continuous playlist exist per channel (recommended). Regardless of time and on-air date, all events are included in the imported playlist. • Split events by date: Schedules received from automation systems are split by date. This means that Viz Multichannel usually gets one long sequence of events that may belong to multiple playlists, typically for the current and the next day. Selecting this option causes Viz Multichannel to separate the events based on date and begin time, according to the Dayswitch Timing settings of the General Settings. Note: The Split events by date option is only valid when reading the schedule’s date from within the source file contents (and not the file name). If the filedate field is mapped to read values from filename ($F), this feature will not work. 5.4.2 Timezone Settings This section contains information on the following topics: • Timezone • DST Setting • Dynamic DST Setting • Explicitly defined DST Setting Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 97 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Timezone • Channel Timezone: Defines the timezone of the area the channel is being broadcasted into. Options are: -12:00 to +14:00. • Schedule Timezone: Defines the timezone of the schedule being imported. DST Setting • Channel is in DST timezone: Check this option when you want to enable the Day-light saving function and select one of the Day-light saving modes: • Dynamic DST Setting • Explicitly defined DST Setting Dynamic DST Setting • Period Start Date: Specifies the date that starts the Day-light saving period. • Period Start Time: Specifies the time that starts the Day-light saving period. • Period End Date: Specifies the date that ends the Day-light saving period. • Period End Time: Specifies the time in local non- DST time that ends the Day-light saving period. Note: Invert months for southern hemisphere settings. Explicitly defined DST Setting Note: For nations with special DST handling. Page 98 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Period Start Date: Specifies the date that starts the Day-light saving period • Period Start Time: Specifies the time that starts the Day-light saving period • Period End Date: Specifies the date that ends the Day-light saving period • Period End Time: Specifies the time in local non-DST time that ends the Day-light saving period 5.4.3 Miscellaneous This section contains information on the following topics: • General Playout Options • Edit Options • Scene Import • Playlist Archiving • Default Scenes • Reporting General Playout Options • Allow item replay: When checked the automation system requests the replay of an item in a playlist (same Media ID), Viz Multichannel will go back and play the requested item (even if marked as played). When unchecked, it prevents an event from being played twice, but looks for the next event with the requested ID marked as not played. Note: If you are using duplicate Media IDs, uncheck this option. Edit Options • Clear ID after editing secondary event: When checked the secondary event ID is removed from the edited element in the playlist. This allows you to receive an updated schedule without overwriting already edited secondary events in your playlist. Scene Import Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 99 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Allow scene import even if control object container is not named $object: When checked, if in a Viz Artist scene, the import control object container was not correctly named $object, the scene can still be imported into Viz Multichannel as a template. It is recommended that you leave this setting unchecked. If you have any doubts regarding this setting, contact your local Vizrt CA representative. • Report DVE errors during import: When checked, if in the Basic Settings you selected to Play Video Through the Viz Engine, any Viz Artist scenes being imported as Viz Multichannel templates that were built without DVE support will be reported. Therefore, if you selected to play video through the Viz Engine, it is recommended that you select this option, as DVE support is important. If you do not play video through the Viz Engine, you can leave this setting unchecked, or if you do not wish to see this error highlighted. Playlist Archiving These settings are only relevant for playlist’s that are split on days. Hence, it is not relevant for a continuous playlist. • Enable Archiving: When checked, archiving is enabled. When unchecked, no archiving will occur. Archiving will remove old playlists from the system and archive them in files. • Archive playlists older than (days): Enter the number of days after which a playlist will be archived. • Archive Folder: Enter the folder path in which older playlists are archived. • Archiving Time (MSE clock): Enter the time at which archiving will take place each day. The action will occur according to the clock of the machine on which Media Sequencer is installed. • Delete editable templates (days): Enter the number of days after which templates will be deleted from the channel’s storage. Default Scenes • Automatically take logo page when start playlist and on dayswitch: Once the day switch occurs, the logo scene goes on air. • Logo Scene: Enter the scene name of the logo scene that will be played as necessary. Page 100 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Error Scene: Enter the scene name of the error scene that should be easily accessible in the event of an error. • Video-only Scene: If in the Basic Settings you selected to Play Video Through the Viz Engine, enter the scene name of the video-only scene that will be played when Viz Multichannel has no templates or playlists in memory. If you have a Matrox X.mio 2 plus card this is not needed. Tip: The above scenes can also be set using the context menu available to pages listed in the Templates and Pages pane. Reporting • Playlist Reports Folders: Enter the folder path where playlist reports are saved. For more information on how to generate reports, see the Channel and Playlist Reports section. 5.4.4 General Settings This section contains information on the following topics: • Channel Name • Remote Hosts • Automatic Import Settings • Import Options Channel Name • Channel Name in Schedule: Sets the channel name that corresponds with the channel name given by the imported schedule. Remote Hosts • Remote Hosts: Defines remote machines that should receive a copy of the playlist. Multiple hosts are separated by a comma. Automatic Import Settings Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 101 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide For information on how to set global import settings (i.e. import interval and import path), see the global Automatic Import settings. Also, see the Playlist Importer section for installation, configuration and use of the Playlist Importer. • Enable Automatic Import: When checked, automatic imports and updates are enabled. When unchecked, only manual import operations will occur. • Schedule Import Folder: Enter the folder path where playlists imported from external systems will be stored. Viz Multichannel will read from this path. • Schedule Update Folder: Enter the folder path where playlists updates from external systems will be stored. Viz Multichannel will update from this path. Note: It is highly recommended that the import and update folders are defined as separate folders. Import Options • Import Secondary Events as Reference: When checked, all secondary events associated to pages in Viz Multichannel will be imported as Referenced Pages. When unchecked, pages will be instances of the original page. • Self-explanatory options: • Remove secondary events that has an offset exceeding the primary events duration. • Allow to add Page by Rules with an offset exceeding the Primary Event’s duration. • Refresh data content of playlist after update. • Refresh data content of playing playlist after import/update. • Allow page to force mapping for data content filling. 5.4.5 Page 102 Day Switch Options Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Activate Day Switch: Activates day switch for split playlists. • Day Switch at: Defines the end of the broadcast day (i.e. the preferred dayswitch time). • Activate Playlist (Time Before): Activates the playlist a set amount of time before the day switch takes place. • Insert Cleanup: Cleans up the program Viz Engine a set amount of time before the day switch takes place. • Insert Initialize: Initializes the program Viz Engine a set amount of time before the day switch takes place. Note: Time is relative to the day switch action inserted, that in itself is inserted as the last element of the day. E.g. the primary event ends 30 minutes after the preferred day switch time then the switch and all other actions are offset by 30 minutes to adjust for this. 5.4.6 Filtering Options This section contains information on the following topics: • Import Window • Primary Event Filtering Import Window The import window defines how much, in time, of the playlist that should be imported at any given time. This is useful in order to control the amount of secondary and, if needed, primary events that should be imported. • Import Start Offset: Defines the starting point of the offset in hours, minutes and seconds. If the current clock shows 12:00, the start offset could be 11:00, meaning all events • Import End Offset: Sets the relative end offset time of the import in hours, minutes and seconds. • Import Primary events outside the Import Window range: Imports the primary elements (groups), but will not try to apply rules or create any secondary elements. This setting should be used in conjunction with the offset settings. • Mark partially imported schedule files as .Done: Tags the already processed schedule file as .done such that it is filtered out during next import or update. Files that failed to import are tagged as .fail. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 103 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Primary Event Filtering This section allows you to filter the import process, so that source primary events must meet certain criteria in order to make it into the playlist. See Also • Create Primary Event Filter 5.4.7 Primary Mapping Settings The primary mapping settings can map from scheduling and/or automation systems. This section contains information on the following topics: • Primary Mapping Settings • Field mapping to Pages • Table Columns • Primary Events Ignore Settings for Page Content Filling • LST Import Settings • Excel Import Settings • Any Text Import Settings • XML Import Settings • Omnibus Import Settings Primary Mapping Settings • Import Type: Select the type of external playlist. Page 104 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • File name pattern: Enter the specific file format to search for in the import/update folders, e.g. *.xml, *.lst, *10.txt, etc. • Schedule File Name Info: When Reading Channel and Date Values from Filenames, indicate the format that Viz Multichannel should expect. The filename must contain the D/M/Y to represent the day, month and year character location in the filename. C must represent the channel name. Note that the occurrences of the letter C are as many times as there are characters in the channel name. X can be used in order to skip characters. • Channel10_20100824.txt = CCCCCCCC_YYYYMMDD. • 20130314_TV2Test.xml = YYYYMMDD_XXXCCCC. Table Columns The mapping table is used to add all the rows required to map the source playlist to the Viz Multichannel playlist to be created. • Caption: Playlist column header. This value will appear in Viz Multichannel’s playlist. • Field Name: Is Viz Multichannel’s internal field name (see Reference). For further information, see the Basic Mapping Table Field Names section for information on required and optional field names, and how to use additional field names. • Reference: Is the reference to the data in the schedule file. The reference is then mapped to the Field Name. • Edit Events: When checked, this allows you to manually edit fields in the Viz Multichannel playlist. Field names and reference values vary depending on the automation system in use. For further information, see the Import Guide. • Date Field Format: This field is optional. If defined, Viz Multichannel will expect to find dates in the source file based on the format provided here. • Date in source file is broadcast date: Check this check box if the date in the source file is the same as the broadcast date. Otherwise, leave it unchecked. • Values for Primary Event Types: When primary and secondary events are at the same hierarchical level in the source file, indicate the text within the fields that denote primary events. If there is more than one type of denoting text, separate with commas. For example Program,Promo,Commercial. This value will be called from within the event_type field. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 105 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Values for Secondary Event Types: Indicate the text within the fields that denote secondary events. If there is more than one type of denoting text, separate with commas. For example Logo,Bug. When primary and secondary events are at the same hierarchical level in the source file, the value will be called from within the event_type field. Otherwise, the value will be called from within the seconary_event_type field. Field mapping to Pages • Allocate page field values: Optionally, map the playlist fields to the page fields according to order of appearance in the playlist; alternatively, map according to the playlist field tag. See Page Content Filling. • Ignore Fields (by field order): Enter the value representing the number of fields to ignore before starting the mapping process. • Empty Field Value: Enter a string that Viz Multichannel will replace with an empty value in the template’s control text when this string comes as a secondary event field value in an Excel playlist. • Name/value field mapping: When in the source file the odd (first) field is the field identifier in the template and the even field is the correlated value, check this box for Viz Multichannel to map from the source accordingly. Primary Events Ignore Settings for Page Content Filling • Default behavior: Defines the default behavior during import of primary events for Page Content Filling purposes. • When set to FALSE the default behavior is to use all primary events for page content filling except those values listed in the Values field. • When set to TRUE the default behavior is not to use all primary events for page content filling except those values listed in the Values field. • Matches for inverted behavior: Primary events that match the comma separated values will invert the selected default behavior. Note that you need to fill in a reference for the Ignore field name in the mapping table. Supported wildcards: • LIVE - any string that is an exact match “LIVE” is a hit, e.g.: “LIVE”. • *LIVE - any string that ends with “LIVE” is a hit, e.g.: “MUSICLIVE”, “NOTLIVE” and “LIVE”. • LIVE* - any string that starts with “LIVE” is a hit, e.g.: “LIVESHOW”, “LIVEEVENT” and “LIVE”. • *LIVE* - any string that contains “LIVE” is a hit, e.g.: “VERYLIVEMUSIC”, “MUSICLIVE”, “NOTLIVE”, “LIVESHOW”, “LIVEEVENT” and “LIVE”. Page 106 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide LST Import Settings • Use Reconcile key as Viz One House Id: After a playlist has been imported, the reconcile keys will be used to set the IDs for the Viz One assets. • Get date from schedule file: If the Schedule File Name (see Primary Mapping Settings) is empty, Viz Multichannel will retrieve the schedule date from the ADC-100 system’s RCV file. • Code Page: During import, bytes in an LST file, stored in the TITLE field, will be converted according to the defined Windows code page. For example, code page with identifier 1256 will convert bytes to ANSI Arabic. • Use Universal Sercom Driver: Enable this when USD is used. • Universal Sercom Driver name: If left empty, exports Secondary Events as standard secondary events for Harris. If defined, exports secondary events as macro commands for that Universal Sercom Driver (USD) device for Harris (ID=USD_NAME, Title=VIZRT:Media ID, Reconcile Key=Template_name). • Macro Name: Set the macro name used in the Harris system. Excel Import Settings • Header Lines Included: If checked, the header lines will not be read, and reading will start from the first row of data only. If left unchecked, first line will be read. Only relevant if the import type is Excel (*.xls or *.xlsx). Any Text Import Settings • Header Lines in File: Enter the number of header lines in the Any Text file. • Skip Lines: Enter the number of lines to skip before beginning to read the import source file for data. • Columns Separator: Enter the text symbol (e.g. *) that separates the columns in the text file. • File Encoding: Sets the expected file encoding of the imported text file. Alternatives are ANSI, UTF-8, UTF-8 without BOM, and UTF-16. • Code Page: Sets the expected code page of the imported text file (e.g. 28591 for ISO 8859-1 Latin 1 or 874 for ISO/IEC 8859-11 Latin/Thai). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 107 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide XML Import Settings • Path of Primary Event Nodes: Path to the element that contains the primary events. • Secondary Events Nested in Primary Events: Check this box if secondary events are nested as child elements within primary event nodes. • Path of Secondary Event Nodes: Path to the element that contains the secondary events. • Channel name is defined at the root level: Assumes that the channel name is defined as a meta data entry (at the root level) outside the primary element entries. • Playlist date is defined at the root level: Assumes that the playlist date is defined as a meta data entry (at the root level) outside the primary element entries. Omnibus Import Settings • Code Page: Sets the expected code page of the imported text file (e.g. 28591 for ISO 8859-1 Latin 1 or 874 for ISO/IEC 8859-11 Latin/Thai). See Also • Add Condition to a Rule • Page Content Filling • Primary Event Filtering • Import Guide 5.4.8 Secondary Mapping Settings Secondary mapping settings are usually for automation systems for automatic updates. They are used when Viz Multichannel has to read playlists from two different sources. The configuration methodology is the same as described in the Primary Mapping Settings section. 5.4.9 Update Settings This section contains information on the following topics: • Update Options • Full Update Options for Secondary Events • Update Times Options for Secondary Events Page 108 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Update Options • Automatic Update Mode: Options are: • Full: Merging of the playlist as it is in Viz Multichannel with changes that have been made to the original source file. • Times: Update of primary event begin time, duration and from changes that have been made to the original source file. Any primary event additions or deletions are ignored. Only the times are updated. • Full update without event deletion: Merging of the playlist as it is in Viz Multichannel with changes that have been made to the original source file, without deleting any (primary) elements. • Delete Processed Files (days old): Enter the number of days after which processed playlist files (*.done) will be deleted. • Lock Events from MSE Time: Sets an interval (hh:mm:ss) during which scheduled events will not be updated. The interval starts as of the next update, whether scheduled or manual, and is timed according to the Media Sequencer clock. • Allow updates for a running playlist: When checked, playlists that are currently active will be updated. When unchecked, only playlists that are not playing will be updated. • If ‘Date’-mapping is blank retrieve date from running playlist: When checked, Viz Multichannel will try to get the date from the running playlist when the “Date”-mapping is blank. • Create playlist if one does not exist: If you update a playlist whose date does not exist, Viz Multichannel imports/creates the playlist for you. • Send Playlist to remote hosts when import/update playlist: Sends the playlist to remote Media Sequencer hosts (see Remote Hosts). • Send Templates and Pages to remote host(s): Sends templates and pages to remote Media Sequencer hosts (see Remote Hosts). • Sync and Transfer pages on each automatic import trigger even when no schedule is imported. Although there is no schedule in the import/update folder, templates and pages are sent to Remote Hosts via the Playlist Importer. Full Update Options for Secondary Events These settings are valid both for manual and automatic updates and are checked by default. • Get from external playlist: When checked, secondary events will also be updated from source files when performing full updates. When unchecked, they won’t. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 109 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Reschedule by rules: When checked, secondary events will be updated according to rules (see Working with Rules), when performing full updates. When unchecked, they won’t. • Leave manually added items: When checked, secondary events added manually in Viz Multichannel will not be affected, when performing full updates. When unchecked, they will. Update Times Options for Secondary Events These settings are valid both for manual and automatic updates. • Get from external playlist: When checked, secondary events will also be updated from source files when performing update times. When unchecked, they won’t. • Reschedule by rules: When checked, secondary events will be updated according to rules (see Working with Rules), when performing update times. When unchecked, they won’t. • Leave manually added items: When checked, secondary events added manually in Viz Multichannel will not be affected, when performing update times. When unchecked, they will. 5.4.10 Export Settings This section contains information on the following topics: • Export Options • Secondary Event ID Assignment • Harris (LST) Export Options • Auto Export Folder: Enter the folder path where automatic exports are to be stored. • Channel Name in Automation: Enter a channel name that will be recognized by the automation. Viz Multichannel uses this for all export types except XML. If you leave this field blank, the channel name will be the Channel Name in Schedule under the General Settings. • Export Secondary Events that do not have offsets: When checked secondary events that do not have offsets are included in the exported file. Secondary Event ID Assignment Page 110 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Assignment Mode: Generation of IDs for secondary events during export to an LST file. Options are: • Automatic: Generates IDs on secondary events that do not have one. • Manual: Takes no action. • Regenerate: Generates IDs on all secondary events, overwriting existing ones. • Generate Random ID/Generate Sequential ID: Select Random ID for IDs to be assigned randomly by the system. Select Sequential ID for the numbers to run sequentially from the playlist’s first item onward. • Capital Letters (for Random ID): This option is only relevant if you select Random IDs in the previous option. Selecting capital letters will ensure that the letter portion of the generated ID is always in capitals. Otherwise the letters will be a mix of lower and upper case. • Prefix Secondary ID: This option is only relevant if you are generating sequential IDs. Enter the string that you want as the ID’s prefix. • Initial Secondary ID: This option is only relevant if you are generating sequential IDs. Enter the first number of the ID list. Harris (LST) • Merge Into Existing File: If left unchecked, when you export, Viz Multichannel exports the selected playlist from scratch. If checked, you are prompted to select an existing file, and any new secondary events are added to that file. The resulting file replaces the old one, which is saved as a backup with the extension .orig. 5.4.11 Graphic Settings • Include graphics when sending playlists: When checked, exported playlists will include Viz Multichannel templates converted back into Viz Artist archive files (.via or.eva). When unchecked, no graphics will be included. • Include graphics data when receiving playlists: When checked, Viz Multichannel will search for and import playlists along with associated graphics. When unchecked, only the playlist events will be imported. • Shared Viz Archive Folder: Enter the folder path to the shared folder where the Channel Name (defined in the General Settings) will get playlists when Sending Playlists to the Master Control. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 111 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5.4.12 GPI GPI is a type of trigger that does not relate directly to a playlist event. From a list of available commands, you can define what Viz Multichannel will do when it receives any one of them from an external device. • Bits per second: Default is 9600. • Port: Select the relevant COM port on the Media Sequencer machine. • Stop bits: Default is 1. • Data bits: Default is 8. • Parity: Default is None. • Box Type: Default is SRC-8. • Flow Control: Default is None. • Each GPI Action is number DLn or DHn, where n is a sequential number, beginning from 0. • Under the Commands column, all the Viz Commands, editable templates and general actions such as show logo, remove logo, stop active playlist, etc. are available as options. • Description can be defined freely. 5.4.13 Page 112 VDCP Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide VDCP is one of the protocols that Viz Multichannel uses to communicate with external automation systems. • Bits per second: Default is 38400. • Port: Select the relevant COM port on the Media Sequencer machine. • Byte size: Default is 8. • Stop bits: Default is 1. • Parity: Default is None. See Also • Media Sequencer documentation regarding vdcp_client_actor. 5.4.14 Intelligent Interface Intelligent Interface is one of the protocols that Viz Multichannel uses to communicate with external automation systems. • Bits per second: Default is 9600. • Port: Select the relevant COM port on the Media Sequencer machine. • Encoding: Default is ISO-8859-1. • Space Means Empty: Default is No. See Also • Media Sequencer documentation regarding Intelligentif actor. 5.4.15 TCP If you want to receive TCP triggers, you must set a port that the Media Sequencer will listen to for that purpose. • Port: Enter the port number. This option is disabled when the field is left empty. See Also • Media Sequencer documentation on pb_listener actor. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 113 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5.4.16 Database Connections This section describes the Viz Multichannel’s database connections interface, listing all available database connections. • New connection (first button): Allows you to manually enter a connection string. Clicking the New connection button adds a new entry to the list of available connections. • Delete connection (second button): Deletes the selected connection. • Build connection string (third button): Allows you to build a connection string. Clicking the Build connection string button opens a dialog box that allows you to set all parameters needed in order to successfully connect to your source. See Also • Create Database Connections 5.4.17 Update Service Update Service is an option that makes use of your custom web service for page content filling. These Update Service settings are your per channel default settings. In addition you may define separate update service settings per template. A timeout of N seconds on the available actions (i.e. take, preview and update) may be set. This is to make sure a reply is given back during the configured timeout (default is 5 seconds) for a given action. If no reply is given the action is not sent/issued, even though a reply is given later. See Also • Update service settings per template • Playlists Page 114 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5.4.18 Forked Execution Forked execution allows you to setup a single channel with multiple concepts triggering one Viz Engine per concept. Forked execution supports standalone and Transition Logic scenes. Concepts are defined per channel when Configuring Device Channels. Note: As an option you can also use this setup to have the same graphics concept being rendered on multiple Viz Engines. See Also • Configuring Device Channels • Configuring Playout Devices • Viz Artist’s user guide on Transition Logic 5.4.19 Configuring Device Channels Device channels are essentially placeholders for playout devices. You use device channels to group the graphics and video devices into logical areas of responsibility (i.e. program and preview channels for graphics or video devices). Graphics device channels may also be configured to apply a given graphics design concept (e.g. weather, sports, election, news, and so on). This section contains information on the following topics: • To add an playout device to the device channels list • To add a concept override for a channel’s playout device • To rename an playout device in the device channels list • To remove a playout device from the device channels list • To remove a playout device from the device channels list To add an playout device to the device channels list • Click the New Channel button, or drag and drop a playout device to the Channels list. To add a concept override for a channel’s playout device Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 115 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 1. Expand the device channel’s playout device and append the concept name. • This will override any concepts set elsewhere 2. Click OK Caution: Note that concept names are case sensitive. To rename an playout device in the device channels list • Right-click the channel and select Edit Channel Name from the appearing context menu, or double-click the name. To remove a playout device from the device channels list • Right-click the channel entry and select Delete channel from the appearing context menu, or select the channel and press the Delete button. To remove a playout device from the device channels list • Right-click the playout device and from the appearing context menu select Delete, or simply select it and press Delete. See Also • Configuring Playout Devices 5.4.20 Configuring Playout Devices Playout devices are physical output devices that either playout program or preview content of graphics or video. These devices are added to so called device channels which only purpose is to logically group playout devices into functional areas of responsibility (i.e. act as program or preview channels for either graphics or video). This section contains information on the following topics: • To configure a graphics device • To configure a video device • To edit a video device • To delete a video device • To enable scene transitions To configure a graphics device Page 116 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 1. Click the Add Viz... button to open the Configure Viz Engine dialog box. 2. Enter the hostname and port • Default port for Viz Engine is 6100. 3. Optional: Select Mode • Scene Transitions: See how To enable scene transitions • Still Preview: See how To enable scene transitions 4. Optional: Select an Asset Storage location • Asset Storage lists available Viz Engine storages for clip transfer and playout. 5. Click OK. • A status indicator will show if the renderer is on-air. Note: Deprecated Settings are not relevant for Viz Multichannel. To configure a video device 1. Click the Add Video... button to open the Configure Video Device dialog box. 2. Select the video server Type 3. Enter the Host or IP address and the port • Default port for MVCP is 5250. • Default port for Viz Engine is 6100. 4. Select a Asset Storage location • Asset Storage lists available Viz Engine storages for clip transfer and playout. 5. Enable/Disable Fullscreen mode • When Fullscreen is enabled, which is the default behavior, stand-alone video clip elements are played out full screen in the back layer. Graphics in the middle or front layer will still play. • When Fullscreen is disabled stand-alone video clip elements will only replace the current video clip without triggering animations or transition effects. 6. Select Clip Channel (only relevant for Viz Engine) 7. Click OK. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 117 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • A status indicator will show if the device is on-air/online. To edit a video device • Right-click the video device and select Edit from the appearing context menu, or simply double-click it. To delete a video device • Right-click the video device and select Delete from the appearing context menu, or simply select it and press the Delete button. To add a video device to the channels list • Simply drag and drop a Viz Engine or video device onto the channel in the Channels list, or select it and from the appearing context menu select Add to profile (creating a new channel) or Add to selected channel. To enable scene transitions Transition Effect scenes are made in Viz Artist and can be applied to data elements to create custom transition effects from one scene to the other. If an effect is specified, the effect will be shown when the scene is taken on-air. Effects are typically wipes, dissolves, alpha fades and so on. 1. Configure the Viz Engine settings as seen in how To configure a graphics device 2. Set the Mode to Scene Transitions to allow the renderer to copy (or snapshot) the scenes to create a transition effect between them. 3. Click OK 4. Add the program renderer to the program channel Note: To see the effects the program channel must be configured and onair. See Also • Configuring Device Channels Page 118 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 5.5 Video Configuration In order for video to pass through Viz Engine (in a Downstream workflow) when no scenes are loaded you need to activate the Matrox Watchdog functionality and enable video to loop through the Matrox X.mio or X.mio 2 board. Note: For Viz Engine 3.6 and X.mio 2 plus users the below procedure is not relevant. To configure Viz Engine to pass through video as DVE 1. Start Viz Engine’s configuration tool (Viz Config). 2. In the Matrox section under the General tab enable Use Watchdog • Use Watchdog: When activated this setting enables the Matrox X.mio watchdog feature. It defines what kind of key is produced when the watchdog takes over control. Default mode is Inactive. When the watchdog is enabled, turning off the video out will activate the software bypass after a given timeout (see next setting). 3. Set the Timeout setting (e.g. 100ms) • Timeout: Defines the time in milliseconds until the watchdog takes over control. This value should not be smaller than the time of two fields/frames. Default value is 999 milliseconds. 4. In the Video Output section tweak the h-phase and v-phase settings to have a glitch free switching from and to the Watchdog. • H-Phase and V-Phase: Shifts the output signal with respect to the sync signal. 5. Open the Viz configuration file 6. Navigate to the TARGA3200 section and set the following parameters • Set video_loopthrough_mode = 2 • Set video_loopthrough_reactivation = 1 With these configurations you should have a DVE pass through as long as no scene or DVE is activated on the Viz Engine. See Also • Viz One Integration • Global Settings • Local Settings • Working with Channel Settings • Channel Settings Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 119 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 120 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 6 Import Guide This section describes the supported import modules and how to setup Viz Multichannel to import schedules and thereby create playlists for the client. To help in filling out the Primary Mapping Settings and Secondary Mapping Settings, the following topics serve to explain how to perform various types of imports into Viz Multichannel: • Basic Mapping Table Field Names • Any Text • Any XML • Excel • Harris ADC-100 • Omnibus See Also • Page Content Filling • Reading Channel and Date Values from Filenames • Concatenating Fields • Primary Mapping Settings 6.1 Basic Mapping Table Field Names The following field names are the basic field names used by Viz Multichannel. Specific import types may have additional requirements. Required Field Names If the following field names are not present during import you will not be able to import the schedule. • channel: Is compared against the Channel Name in Schedule. If it does not match, primary and/or secondary events will not be imported or updated. If the schedule file has no channel name available you must leave the Channel Name in Schedule blank. • date: Is the date the primary event is supposed to be played out. • time: Is the time the primary event is supposed to be played out. • begin_at: Is the combination of date and time the primary event is supposed to be played out. • event_id: Is the unique ID of the primary event, and is used to track updates. When you cannot guarantee unique event IDs, you must create a combined mapping using other Field Names (e.g. ReconcileKey and Segment). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 121 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Optional Field Names If the following field names are not present during import you will be able to import the schedule. • ignore: Used to define which Primary Events Ignore Settings for Page Content Filling. An update of your playlist is always required if these settings are changed. • duration: Is the duration of the primary event. • description: Is the description of the primary/secondary event. • event_type: Is the type of event, primary or secondary. Values for primary and secondary event types are set in the Primary Mapping Settings. • ext_id: Is the ID for triggering events by the automation system. • secondary_page: Is the page name, and must match the name of the page created in Viz Multichannel. See Working with Templates and Pages. • secondary_timecode: Offset relative to the primary event’s start time. • secondary_duration: Duration of the secondary event. • secondary_fields: Allows you to get data from the schedule file for page content filling. You can also use this field to map specific named fields in Microsoft Excel, Text and XML files. • XML: Map a collection of data to secondary_fields. • Excel: Map to the first column you want to use as secondary_fields. All subsequent columns may also be used. • Text: Define the Field Names (e.g. secondary_fields1, secondary_fields2, secondary_fields3) and map them accordingly. • vmeasset: Map the house ID to the vmeasset. This will allow Viz Multichannel client to resolve assets on Viz One (see the Viz One Integration chapter). This will create a composite group in your playlist (i.e. a primary element containing a video asset). The composite group may also contain pages. This requires Viz One 5.4 or later. Additional Field Names Additional field names can be used to add in extra columns in the playlist to show metadata or to add data to pages when editing an attribute (see Page Content Filling Window’s Attribute options). You can define as many additional Field Names as you like. Additional Field Names are supported by any other format than the LST Import Type. See Also • Primary Mapping Settings • Page Content Filling Window Page 122 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 6.2 Any Text The Any Text import module supports any format of text file. There are two such types of text file: with a delimited field structure and with an fixed width information structure. In a delimited field structure file, each line contains a list of values, delimited by a configured character like a comma or tab. In an fixed width information file, each line contains a list of values, and each value is stored in a given place, like the first to tenth characters. Viz Multichannel’s import facility also supports reading information from the file header lines of the imported file (delimited or fixed width (indexed)). Before performing one of the procedures below you need to make sure a schedule is available in the required format (i.e. Any Text) and that you have created a channel (see Create a Channel). To import delimited files 1. Open the Settings window. 2. Select the General Settings section and set the Channel Name in Schedule . • This procedure uses channel 08 as seen in the example imagery below. 3. Select the Primary Mapping Settings section and set Import Type to Any Text. 4. Set the File name pattern to match the file extension (e.g. *.txt). 5. For the Any Text Import Settings section enter the delimiter being used in the Column Separator (Any Text) field (e.g. *). 6. In the Primary Mapping Settings map the Field Name and Reference fields by adding a location counter for each relevant Reference field. • Use the format $L(counter), where L refers to the location of the segment (see Table Columns). • $L(1) maps the first value (e.g. 08) in the list, $L(2) the second (e.g. 20100923), $L(3) the third (e.g. 1051270_23_VM_16_01_1), and so on. 08*20100923*1051270_23_VM_16_01_1*05:48:17:07*Le radeau LE CRASH DU VOL 29,,gg,hh*32293*MAIN 08*20100923*nextshow*00:00:10:00**0*SECONDARY Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 123 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Note: The segment counter starts at 1, hence, it is not zero-indexed. 7. Click the Import Schedule button, select your schedule file (e.g. 20100923_08) and click Open • This will import the schedule and create a playlist in Viz Multichannel Note that you may not have all the secondary elements (i.e. pages) in your playlist. Check the schedule file for secondary elements and create the pages required and perform an update of your playlist. 8. Right-click your playlist (e.g. Continuous Playlist) and select Update Playlist -> Full Update 9. Select your schedule file (e.g. 20100923_08) and click Open To import delimited files with Header lines 1. If a delimited file contains header lines, configure the number of header lines for Viz Multichannel to recognize them as such, with the setting Header lines in file under the Excel Import Settings. 2. For fields read from the header lines, link the field’s line and location counters in the file, in the format $H(line, location), where H means header. Example: Map $H(1,3) for the third value in the first header line, $H(4,2) for the second value in the forth header line, etc. To import fixed width files 1. Open the Settings window. 2. Select the General Settings section and set the Channel Name in Schedule . • This procedure uses channel 08 as seen in the example imagery below. 3. Page 124 Select the Primary Mapping Settings section and set Import Type to Any Text Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4. Set the File name pattern to match the file extension (e.g. *.txt). 5. In the Primary Mapping Settings map the Field Name and Reference fields by adding starting and ending character indexes for each relevant Reference field. Use the format $L(start- index, end-index), where L means line (see Table Columns). Sample content - fixed width (indexed) Example: $L(1,2) maps the first value (e.g. 08) in the list, $L(4,11) the second (e.g. 20100923), $L(20,40) the third (e.g. 1051270_23_VM_16_01_1), and so on. 6. If the imported file contains header lines, configure the number of the header lines for Viz Multichannel to recognize them as such, with the setting Header lines in file in the Primary Mapping Settings. 7. For fields read from the header lines, link the field’s line counter and location indexes in the file, in the format $H(line, start-index, end-index). Example: Map $H(2,5,10) if the field is in the second header line’s 5th-10th characters, etc. See Also • Any Text Import Settings • Any Text Schedules 6.3 Any XML The Any XML file import module supports any XML structures that are available for playlist information with the following features: • Reading values from any node’s text or from any node’s attributes. • XML containing primary events only or both primary events and secondary events Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 125 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Secondary events structured at the same level as the primary events, or secondary events nested inside each primary event • Reading the channel name and playlist date from every primary event, or from one external location taken by path relative to the XML root • FIXME: Note: All the settings mentioned in the following procedure are located in the Primary Mapping Settings . This section contains information on the following topics: • Map Primary and Secondary Events See Also • XML Import Settings • Any XML Schedules • Page Content Filling 6.3.1 Map Primary and Secondary Events This section contains information on the following topics: • To map primary and secondary events • Secondary events are at the same level as primary events • Secondary events are nested inside primary events • Channel name and playlist date in a separate node To map primary and secondary events 1. Start Viz Multichannel 2. Open the Settings window 3. Select your channel 4. Select Primary Mapping Settings • See examples below on how to set the paths before 5. Under the XML Import Settings set the parameters Path Of Main Event Nodes and Path Of Secondary Event Nodes to the main events’ path relative to the XML root. • Do not include the XML root node in the path and/or the secondary event nodes’ path relative to the main event node. • Do not include the root/main event node in the path. • Start the path with the "/" character but don’t end it with "/". 6. Page 126 Check the Secondary events located inside main events check box if the Secondary events are nested inside primary events Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 7. Set the parameters Channel node location and Date node location to value XML root or Secondary Events Nested inside Primary Events according to the XML format. 8. Map each field relatively to the main/secondary event node. • Start the path with the "/" character, and do not include the main/ secondary node name in the path. • If the field value is a node’s text, end the path with the "/" character. • If the field value is an attribute, write the path, then the "/" character and then "@" with the attribute name. Secondary events are at the same level as primary events The following example shows a one-level XML where the secondary events are placed at the same level as the primary events. Your mapping for both events under the XML Import Settings section will be as follows: • Path of Primary Event Nodes:/event • Path of Secondary Event Nodes:= /event … MAIN … SECONDARY … MAIN … Secondary events are nested inside primary events The following example shows a two-level XML where the secondary events are nested inside the primary events. Your mapping for both events under the XML Import Settings section will be as follows: • Path of Primary Event Nodes: /primary_event • Path of Secondary Event Nodes: /secondary_events/secondary Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 127 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide … … … … Channel name and playlist date in a separate node The following example shows how to map the channel name and the playlist date when those tags are placed in other nodes than the default primary element nodes. Note: Having the playlist date separate limits the playlist to one broadcast day. Note that the following example mapping requires you to set an absolute path for the channel name and playlist date in your mapping table. Your mapping table under the Primary Mapping Settings section will be as follows: • channel: /general_info/channel_name/ (see Channel name is defined at the root level setting in the XML Import Settings section) • date: /general_info/date/ (see Playlist date is defined at the root level setting in the XML Import Settings section) • begin: /begin_time/@time • duration: /duration/@time • description: /title/ • type: /type/ … … Page 128 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide MAIN See Also • XML Import Settings • Any XML Schedules 6.4 Excel The Excel module supports both *.xls and *.xlsx formats. The Excel sheet column is your Reference in the mapping table. For example, for column A set @A, and so on. When working with Excel files the first row should always be your header row, and needs to span all columns in use. Also, the Header Lines Included option must be checked (see Excel Import Settings). Enter @ and the letter representing the sequential column. You can call multiple columns/elements in a chain. You can also add characters to separate them. For example: @A / @G / @ X Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 129 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide You can also take a portion of the column with the following notation: &(COLUMN,”DELIMITER”,FROM,COUNT). If the delimiter is empty, it will split into characters. For example, if L is 31.12.2006. &(L,””,1,2) => "31" &(L,””,11,2) => "" &(L,””,10,2) => "6" &(L,”.”,1,2) => "31.12" &(L,”.”,2,2) => "12.2006" &(L,”.”,2,3) => "12.2006" &(L,”.”,4,1) => "" &(L,”.”,3,2) => "2006" &(L,”/”,2,1) => "" &(L,”/”,1,1) => "31.12.2006" Secondary Fields in Excel Data can be added to the schedule file that can be used by Viz Multichannel to fill pages with data. In order to achieve this you need to add in additional columns after the other columns in the Excel sheet. If you are using column headers you also need to define column headers for the additional columns (e.g. field1, field2, and so on). In order for Viz Multichannel to make use of the additional columns you need to add secondary_fields as a new Field Name to your mapping table. The Reference value should always be the first additional column (e.g. field1). Viz Multichannel will start reading the fields, one by one, from that column until it gets to the first empty column header. IMPORTANT! To use the Excel Import Type you need to install Microsoft® Excel on the machines that imports the schedule file. Note: When importing from Excel files, there is a limitation of 100 columns. See Also • Excel Import Settings • Excel Schedules 6.5 Harris ADC-100 The LST import module supports importing schedules based on binary *.lst and *.rcv files from the Harris D-Series automation systems. Using *.rcv files is basically only used when it is required to receive lastminute updates from the Harris automation system. Page 130 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Before performing the procedure below you need to make sure a schedule is available in the required format (i.e. LST (Harris ADC-100) and that you have created a channel (see Create a Channel). Note: It is recommended to base your mapping on the sample content. To import LST format files 1. Open the Settings window. 2. Select the General Settings section and set the Channel Name in Schedule . • This procedure uses channel CH1 as seen by the name of the schedule file. 3. Select the Primary Mapping Settings section and set Import Type to LST (Harris ADC-100). 4. Use the Mapping Table to map the Field Name and Reference fields. 5. Set the Code Page, seen under the LST Import Settings section. 6. Click OK. 7. Click the Import Schedule button, select your schedule file (e.g. 19_07_2011_CH1) and click Open. • This will import the schedule and create a playlist in Viz Multichannel. Note that you may not have all the secondary elements (i.e. pages) in your playlist. Check the schedule in your Harris system for secondary elements and create the pages required and perform an update of your playlist. 8. Right-click your playlist (e.g. Continuous Playlist) and select Update Playlist -> Full Update. 9. Select your schedule file (e.g. 19_07_2011_CH1) and click Open. Mapping Table The mapping table for *.lst and *.rcv files must be as follows: Caption Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Field Name Reference channel channel ignore ignore date date time time Page 131 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Caption Field Name Reference Begin Time begin_at @dateT@time Duration duration duration Offset timecode Description description description Event ID event_id event_id Media ID ext_id ext_id Segment segment segment ReconcileKey ReconcileKey event_id SOM SOM SOM Effect1 effect1 effect1 Effect2 effect2 effect2 Effect3 effect3 effect3 secondary_page secondary_page secondary_timecode secondary_timecode secondary_event_id secondary_event_id secondary_ext_id secondary_ext_id event_type event_type overlay_type overlay_type See Also • LST Import Settings 6.6 Page 132 Omnibus Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide The Omnibus import module supports the *.osc file format. Each element starts with an ITEM line and ends with an end line. In between the element’s fields are one in a line. Note: It is recommended to base your mapping on the sample content. As depicted above the rest of the fields are in a format (e.g. title Friends). See Also • Omnibus Import Settings 6.7 Reading Channel and Date Values from Filenames Whenever your collected schedule does not contain channel and date values you can extract that information based on the schedule’s file name. Viz Multichannel can read these two fields from the imported filename when using Any Text, Any XML, Excel, or Harris ADC-100. In order to read these fields from the filename, set their mapping to $F (for file) and define the filename format in the Schedule File Name Info parameter in the Primary Mapping Settings. The file format should contain D/M/Y to represent the day/month/year character location in the file name, and C to represent the character locations of the channel name in the file name. Characters that do not belong to the channel/date can be written as any character except for D/M/Y/C. For a filename Channel10_20090627.txt, set Schedule File Name Info to CCCCCCCCC_YYYYMMDD or CCCCCCCCC_YYYYMMDD.txt. See Also • Primary Mapping Settings Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 133 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 6.8 Concatenating Fields The correct format for concatenation is: freetext@FIELDNAMEfreetext@FIELDNAMEfreetext… where free-text can be empty (@FIELDNAME@FIELDNAME@FIELDNAME). Example: @Hour:@Minute:@Second The mapping is divided into two: one for each field reading its values, and one for concatenating them. Example 1 for fixed width Any Text import type • StartHour = $L(1,2) • StartMin = $L(3,4) • StartSecond = $L(5,6) • Begin = @StartHour:@StartMin@StartSecond Example 2 for delimited Any Text import type • StartHour = $L(4) • StartMin = $L(5) • StartSecond = $L(6) • Begin = @StartHour:@StartMin@StartSecond Example 3 for Any XML import type This example shows time read in a format HH-MM-SS-FF from an entry / begin_time/time/. • TheStartTime = /begin_time/time/ • StartHour = &(TheStartTime,”-”,1,1) • StartMin = &(TheStartTime,”-”,2,1) • StartSecond = &(TheStartTime,”-”,3,1) • StartFrame = &(TheStartTime,”-”,4,1) • Begin = @StartHour:@StartMin:@StartSecond:@StartFrame Note: The concatenating field must be located in the table after its partsfields. Page 134 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 7 Schedule Collector The Schedule Collector and Playlist Importer are both installed together with Viz Multichannel, and communicates with automation systems regarding schedule updates. Overall, the Schedule Collector communicates with the scheduling or the automation system, queries the current running automation-system’s schedule, and checks if anything is different from the last time queried. If a change is found, it creates an updated file for the Playlist Importer to update Viz Multichannel. The Schedule Collector then triggers the Playlist Importer to ingest the actual schedule. As long as the system is configured correctly, Viz Multichannel can be down and the live update functionality runs (Media Sequencer and the Schedule Collector are necessary prerequisites). Configuration varies slightly from one automation system to the next. In most cases, configuration can be done directly from the application. There are a few exceptions in which some parameters need to be changed directly in the .config file. Configuration is usually done only once, allowing the Schedule Collector to simply work in the background afterwards; however, if you need to do changes simply stop it, configure it, and then start it again. The procedures for each automation system are outlined in turn. Note: The Schedule Collector runs as a service. To start, stop, and configure the service use the system tray icon. Before any configuration can take place you need to perform Installation and Startup. Once installed, and you have access to the system tray icon, you may configure your system. The following is a list of systems Viz Multichannel integrates with using the Schedule Collector: • DB • Harris • Multi DB • Omnibus • PBS • SGT • BXF Support See Also • Playlist Importer • Viz Multichannel general requirements Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 135 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 7.1 Installation and Startup Viz Multichannel’s Schedule Collector is a separate installer that installs itself as a service, and once installed is available from the system tray. To see the tray icon you need To run Schedule Collector once. Note: The Playlist Importer is part of the Viz Multichannel client installer. To install Schedule Collector 1. Double-click the installer (e.g. VizMultichannel_SCC_2.7.0.xxxx). 2. Click Next. 3. Optional: Change the default installation path. • Windows XP: C:\Program Files\vizrt\Viz Multichannel\Tools \Schedule Collector • Windows 7: C:\Program Files (x86)\vizrt\Viz Multichannel \Tools\Schedule Collector 4. Click Next. 5. Click Install. 6. Click Finish. To run Schedule Collector 1. Open the Windows Start menu. 2. Run Viz Multichannel - Schedule Collector Monitor found under Vizrt -> Viz Multichannel. See Also • General Configuration • Setup and Configuration of the Viz Multichannel client 7.2 General Configuration This section describes how to start configuring the Schedule Collector, and how to configure general options that apply to all automation systems. To configure Schedule Collector • From the system tray, right-click the Schedule Collector icon and from the appearing context menu select Stop and then Configure. Page 136 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide To configure general options for Omnibus 1. Optional: Enter the Playlist Importer Path if Auto Import will be enabled. • Enter the path on the Viz Multichannel machine (i.e. usually the master control room client) where the Playlist Importer application is located. 2. Optional: Enable Check Cache. • This will improve performance by updating changes only. 3. Optional: From the Log Mode drop-list, select if logs should be generated. • No log: No log is created (default). • Basic log: Logs basic activities. • Full log: Logs sent and received message contents. This option should only be used for troubleshooting. Deactivate once no longer needed. 4. Optional: Enable Selected Channel. • This will import only for the selected channel (defined in the Schedule Details section). • To import for all channels, uncheck it. 5. Optional: Enable Send Complete Playlist (OmnibusBXF only). If working in MCR mode (see Master Control Workflow), in the ScheduleCollector.exe.config file add the value -msehost none to General.ImporterParameters. See Also • Installation and Startup • Configuration of: • DB • Harris • Multi DB • Omnibus • PBS • SGT • BXF Support • Master Control Workflow Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 137 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 7.3 DB This section contains information on how to configure your DB setup for connecting to a Microsoft SQL, MySQL or Oracle database. For information on how to configure general options, see the General Configuration section. To configure connection settings for DB 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Set Automation system to DB. 3. Set Heartbeat Interval (default is every 60 seconds) for how often the Schedule Collector should send a heartbeat query. To configure schedule details for DB 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Click the New Channel button. 3. Set Channel Name. Note: Channel ID is automatically set. 4. Set to Active to activate this channel setting. 5. Set the Updates Folder where the Schedule Collector will create its playlists. 6. Enter the ScheduleList Query. • This query must query the database for available schedule table names, creation dates and when last modified. The selected table name is then used by the Event Query. • Use the following syntax in your SQL statement (e.g. SELECT TableName, CreationDateUTC, LastModificationTimeUTC FROM [table name]). 7. Page 138 Enter the Event Query. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • This query must query the data from the selected schedule table name provided by the ScheduleList Query. • Use the following syntax in your SQL statement (e.g. SELECT * FROM [%table%]), where [%table%] is required. 8. Enter the database Connection String. 9. Select a Database Server: • Microsoft SQL • MySQL • Oracle 10. Enter the ID Field that stores the schedule table name. 11. Click Save. See Also • Multi DB • Installation and Startup • General Configuration 7.4 Harris This section contains information on how to configure your D-Series system from Harris Broadcast: • To configure connection settings for Harris • To configure schedule details for Harris For information on how to configure general options, see the General Configuration section. To configure connection settings for Harris 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Set Automation system to Harris. 3. Open Schedule Collector’s configuration file • Windows XP: %ProgramFiles%\vizrt\Viz Multichannel\Tools \Schedule Collector\ScheduleCollector.config • Windows 7: %ProgramFiles(x86)%\vizrt\Viz Multichannel\Tools \Schedule Collector\ScheduleCollector.config 4. Set General.ExtraConfigFiles to Bxf.config.xml. 5. Save and close the file. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 139 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide To configure schedule details for Harris 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Click the New Channel button. 3. Enter the Channel Name as defined by the Harris automation system. 4. Enter the unique Channel ID for the channel as defined by the Harris automation system. • Ensure that Channel ID is identical to Viz Multichannel’s Channel Name in Schedule (see the General Settings section). 5. Enter the Updates Folder path. • This is the path where updates will be received. Make sure you select an existing folder as Schedule Collector will not create on for you. 6. For the Schema Query, under Query Interval, enter the desired interval in seconds. 7. In the BXF Input Folder field, enter the path for protocol input files. This must be an existing folder, and must match the corresponding folder in the Harris automation system. 8. In the BXF Output Folder field, enter the path for protocol output files. This must be an existing folder, and must match the corresponding folder in the Harris automation system. 9. Click Save. 10. Repeat this procedure for each Harris channel, as required. See Also • Installation and Startup • General Configuration 7.5 Multi DB This section contains information on how to configure your DB setup for connecting to a Microsoft SQL, MySQL or Oracle database in case you have multiple database instances running on your server (and you do not want to use the default database). Page 140 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide For information on how to configure general options, see the General Configuration section. To configure connection settings for Multi DB 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Set Automation system to Multi DB. 3. Set Heartbeat Interval (default is every 60 seconds) for how often the Schedule Collector should send a heartbeat query. To configure schedule details for Multi DB 1. Create an XML file and name it Extra.config.xml. 2. Add the XML file to the SCC folder in your Viz Multichannel installation directory. 3. Use the sample XML below to configure a connection to your multi DB instance. Example: EventUniqueID Data Source=hostname;Initial Catalog=FLORICAL_SCHEDULES_MAX;User Id=name;Password=123456; QueryForOnAirEvent> SELECT * FROM [FLORICAL:ARL:MAX1:2011:02:25]SELECT * FROM [FLORICAL:ARL:MAX1:2011:02:25] 4. Set QueryIDField to be the column name in the database that stores Event IDs. 5. Set ConnectionString to be specify the database instance you are connecting to. 6. Set QueryForOnAirEvent to query for on-air events. 7. Set QueryForEvent to query for a list of events to create the playlist. 8. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 9. Click the New Channel button. 10. Set Channel Name. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 141 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Note: Channel ID is automatically set. 1. Set to Active to activate this channel setting. 2. Set the Updates Folder where the Schedule Collector will create its playlists. 3. Enter the database Connection String. 4. Set the Small and Big intervals for how many and how often Schedule Collector should query the database for new or updated events. 5. Select a Database Server: • Microsoft SQL • MySQL • Oracle 6. Click Save. See Also • DB • Installation and Startup • General Configuration 7.6 Omnibus This section contains information on how to configure your Omnibus systems from Miranda Technologies. Automation can be configured in one of two ways: • Omnibus General Automation • Omnibus BXF iTX Automation See Also • Installation and Startup • General Configuration 7.6.1 Omnibus General Automation This section contains procedures on how: • To configure connection settings for Omnibus • To configure update settings for Omnibus • To configure schedule details for Omnibus For information on how to configure general options, see the General Configuration section. Page 142 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide To configure connection settings for Omnibus 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Set Automation system to Omnibus. 3. Enter the Omnibus machine’s Host Address. 4. Enter the listener Port number, default is 10540. 5. In the Views List field, enter a comma-separated list of the views defined in the Omnibus Adaptor for the relevant channels. To configure update settings for Omnibus 1. Open Schedule Collector’s configuration file • Windows XP: %ProgramFiles%\vizrt\Viz Multichannel\Tools \Schedule Collector\ScheduleCollector.config • Windows 7: %ProgramFiles(x86)%\vizrt\Viz Multichannel\Tools \Schedule Collector\ScheduleCollector.config 2. Set General.OmnibusConnectionMode to IntervalsConnection or ConstantConnection. • Constant connection: Schedule Connector stays connected until you choose to disconnect. • Intervals connection: Schedule Connector connects, gets the full schedule and disconnects for every interval. 3. Set General.CacheIgnoreFields to story/mosExternalMetadata/ mosPayLoad/currentTime,story/mosExternalMetadata/ mosPayLoad/status. 4. Save and close the file. To configure schedule details for Omnibus 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 143 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2. Click the New Channel button. 3. Enter the Channel Name as defined by the Omnibus Adaptor. 4. Enter the unique Channel and Backup Channel IDs for the channel as defined by the Omnibus Adaptor. • Ensure that Channel ID is identical to Viz Multichannel’s Channel Name in Schedule (see the General Settings section). 5. Enter the Updates Folder path. • This is the path where updates will be received. Make sure you select an existing folder as Schedule Collector will not create on for you. 6. Click Save. Note: Repeat the above procedure for each Omnibus channel, as required. See Also • Installation and Startup • General Configuration • Basic Settings 7.6.2 Omnibus BXF iTX Automation This section contains procedures on how: • To configure update settings for Omnibus • To configure schedule details for Omnibus For information on how to configure general options, see the General Configuration section. To configure connection settings for Omnibus BXF Page 144 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Set Automation system to OmnibusBXF. 3. Enter the link to your Web Service. 4. Enter the number of days to get the playlists for in the LookAhead field. 5. Enter a value to determine the Polling Interval, in seconds, to poll the automation system for changes. 6. Optional: Enable Live Item Update if you want to receive live updates from the your web service. 7. Enter the Date(xPath) path in the XML that defines the event date. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Example: /BxfMessage/BxfData/Schedule/ScheduledEvent/ ScheduleElements/EventData/StartDateTime/SmpteDateTime/ @broadcastDate • See Playlist Structure for a more complete XML example. To configure schedule details for Omnibus BXF 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Click the New Channel button. 3. Enter the Channel Name as defined by the Omnibus Adaptor. 4. Enter the unique Channel ID for the channel as defined by the Omnibus Adaptor. • Ensure that Channel ID is identical to Viz Multichannel’s Channel Name in Schedule (see the General Settings section). 5. In the Day Switch field, enter the day switch as defined in the Day Switch Options. 6. Enter the Updates Folder path. • This is the path where updates will be received. Make sure you select an existing folder as Schedule Collector will not create on for you. 7. Click Save. 8. Repeat this procedure for each Omnibus BXF channel, as required. Playlist Structure AChannel Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 145 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide id … (other info) Channel name and event ID are highlighted, and checked by the Schedule Collector. All the rest of the event information and is checked in Viz Multichannel according to the mapping. Another alternative is to use different field names instead of the Schedules/ Scheduled/EventData is Schedule/ScheduledElements/EventData. However, it is worthwhile to run tests with examples to verify first. Sample structures can be found in Harris documentation. An example of the second type with primary/secondary events: AChannel //Primary event Page 146 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide id //GUID 1 Eve News //Title //Smpte date-time format //Smpte time format Fixed Duration Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 147 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide //Custom data area. E.g. you can place reconcilekey or anything you like //SOM, Duration, and other info //Secondary event offset details, other info //Similar to primary – holds id, An example for the SMPTE date-time format: 15:52:30:00 See Also • Installation and Startup • General Configuration • Basic Settings • Day Switch Options 7.7 PBS This section contains procedures on how to configure your Neptune system from Pebble Beach Systems (PBS): • To configure connection settings for PBS • To configure schedule details for PBS Page 148 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide For information on how to configure general options, see the General Configuration section. To configure connection settings for PBS 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Set Automation system to PBS. 3. Enter the PBS machine’s Host. Note: The host machine will always be given priority in connections. 4. Enter the listener Port number, default is 10600. 5. Enter the Heartbeat Interval time, in seconds. • This allows the Schedule Collector to indicate to the PBS automation system it is still “alive”, even if no updates have been requested. 6. Enter the PBS backup machine’s Backup host. To configure schedule details for PBS 1. From the Schedule drop-list, select a schedule. 2. Click Edit Channel. 3. Enter the Channel name as defined by the PBS automation system. 4. Enter the unique Channel ID for the channel as defined by the PBS automation system. • Ensure that Channel ID is identical to Viz Multichannel’s Channel Name in Schedule (see the General Settings section). 5. Optional: Enable Active. • This will enable automatic updates. 6. Enter the Updates folder path. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 149 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • This is the path where updates will be received. Make sure you select an existing folder as Schedule Collector will not create on for you. 7. For minor but frequent updates, under Small interval, enter the number of events to be received within an indicated time frame. Zero events and/ or zero seconds disables this update option. 8. For major but infrequent updates, under Big interval, enter the number of events to be received within an indicated time frame. If also updating minor events, ensure that the Big Interval is greater than the Small Interval. Zero events and/or zero seconds disables this update option. 9. Click Save. Note: Repeat the above procedure for each PBS channel, as required. See Also • Installation and Startup • General Configuration 7.8 SGT This section contains procedures on how: • To configure connection settings for SGT • To configure schedule details for SGT For information on how to configure general options, see the General Configuration section. To configure connection settings for SGT Page 150 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Set Automation system to SGT. 3. Enter the link to your Web Service. 4. Enter the Client ID. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide To configure schedule details for SGT 1. Open Schedule Collector (see how To configure Schedule Collector). 2. Click the New Channel button. 3. Enter the Channel Name as defined by the SGT automation system. 4. Enter the unique Channel ID for the channel as defined by the SGT automation system. • Ensure that Channel ID is identical to Viz Multichannel’s Channel Name in Schedule (see the General Settings section). 5. Enter the Updates Folder path. • This is the path where updates will be received. Make sure you select an existing folder as Schedule Collector will not create on for you. 6. Click Save. See Also • Installation and Startup • General Configuration 7.9 BXF Support All messages come with root tag of . This root message comes with various information, like origin m+target machine, user name and others. Viz Multichannel supports these fields, and rejects messages aimed to other machines, but does not require them.Viz Multichannel can also check that this info matches the bxf file name (also according to the spec) but this is also not a requirement. One important field is messageType. Viz Multichannel identifies Heartbeat/ Information/Reply/Acknowledgement/ from it. If the message is Heartbeat/ Reply/Acknowledgement then the field originId must match an ID of a Heartbeat/Query that Viz Multichannel has sent to the automation. When Viz Multichannel replies to such messages, it also includes the correct originId in the reply. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 151 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide In short, every message (from both sides) is automatically answered by Acknowledge. Viz Multichannel receives information messages, or sends a Query and receives a Reply (both with playlist updates). Viz Multichannel also handle Heartbeats. The following types of messages are handled: • Viz Multichannel receives Hearbeat -> Viz Multichannel returns Acknowledge. • Viz Multichannel sends Heartbeat -> Viz Multichannel accepts its Acknowledge. • Viz Multichannel sends Query for update -> Viz Multichannel accepts Acknowledge for it. • Viz Multichannel receives Information with playlist -> Viz Multichannel sends Acknowledge for it (and processes the playlist). • Viz Multichannel receives Reply with playlist (answer to Query Viz Multichannel sent) - > Viz Multichannel sends Acknowledge for it (and processes the playlist). • Viz Multichannel receives Query -> Viz Multichannel sends Acknowledge (reject). • Viz Multichannel receive any other message -> Viz Multichannel sends Acknowledge (reject). Page 152 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 8 Playlist Importer The Playlist Importer includes all import logic of Viz Multichannel. The Playlist Importer can be run automatically by the Media Sequencer, or by the Schedule Collector. The Schedule Collector will use the Playlist Importer to convert a schedule from e.g. an automation system to a native Media Sequencer playlist format using the mapping settings configured by the Viz Multichannel client. When manually importing files from e.g. an scheduling system (i.e. when not using the Schedule Collector), you have the same process except that the Viz Multichannel client is the one initiating the import and conversion of the playlist using the Playlist Importer. It is also possible to run PlaylistImporter “by hand”, but this is normally not recommended or necessary. The normal workflow is that Media Sequencer (MSE), Schedule Collector (SCC) or Multichannel runs PlaylistImporter automatically when needed. This chapter contains information on the following topics: • Installation and Configuration • Startup Parameters • Automatic Import of Files • Troubleshooting See Also • Schedule Collector • Primary Mapping Settings • Secondary Mapping Settings 8.1 Installation and Configuration Viz Multichannel’s Playlist Importer is a separate installer and can therefore be installed or upgraded without upgrading the core of the full Multichannel installation. PlaylistImporter needs to be installed (or be available as a installed program on a shared disk) on any server where either MSE (Media Sequencer) or SCC (Schedule Collector) runs automated imports of a playlist. For detailed information on how to install Viz Multichannel, see the Setup and Configuration chapter. Note: The PlaylistImporter (PLI) installer is typically named (for example) VizMultichannelPlayListImporter_2.7.0.7855.msi where 2.7.0.7855 indicates the release and build number. There will also be a corresponding .MD5 file that can be used to check that the downloaded installer has a correct md5-checksum. It is recommended to always check Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 153 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide that the downloaded installers have the correct checksum. Normally installers will be downloaded with ftp from download.vizrt.com using your customer support login credentials. For the Playlist Importer to be launched by the Media Sequencer, the Enable Automatic Import option must be selected in the Automatic Import Settings section. For this option to work, the PlaylistImporter.exe file must be installed on the Media Sequencer machine. Usually Viz Multichannel is not installed on the Media Sequencer machine, so you must install the PlaylistImporter there. The normal installation directories for PlaylistImporter is: Windows 32-bit system: C:\Program Files\vizrt\Viz Multichannel Windows 64-bit system: C:\Program Files (x86)\vizrt\Viz Multichannel See Also • Setup and Configuration • Automatic Import Settings • Schedule Collector 8.2 Startup Parameters The following paramteres may be used during startup of the Playlist Importer. Page 154 Parameter Description Example -channel Defines which channels to process within the Media Sequencer for the Playlist Importer. Each channel name is bracketed by an ‘@’ sign. -channel @ @ @ -loglevel Specifies the loglevel of the Playlist Importer, values range from 0 to 100. Default is 25, 50 is Increased, 75 is Extended, 100 is Debug. -loglevel 100 -msehost Hostname or IP address for Media Sequencer. When hostname is “none” Playlist Importer will read each channel’s Media Sequencer from channels.ini. When no parameter is provided, Playlist Importer will attempt to connect to localhost. -msehost none -msehost 10.11.10.11 -msehost localhost Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 8.3 Parameter Description -viz2 Allows you to use Viz Engine 2.x. Viz 3.x is default. Example Automatic Import of Files Automatically imported files, using the Playlist Importer, are given a timestamp and one of the following suffixes: • .done Is appended if the file was successfully imported. • .fail Is appended if the file was not successfully imported. See Also • Import Window • Troubleshooting 8.4 Troubleshooting Automatic import of Microsoft Excel schedule files fail This error is a known issue with certain Windows installations, and in particular when the Media Sequencer is running in service mode. To resolve this issue, you simply create the following directory on your Windows 64-bit or 32-bit system: • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\Desktop • C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\Desktop Also, set full control permissions for the new directory (for example in Win7 & IIS 7 & DefaultAppPool set permissions for user "IIS AppPool\DefaultAppPool"). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 155 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 156 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 9 Page Content Filling Page content can come from multiple sources. Viz Multichannel supports the following ways of adding content to pages: • Page Content from Schedules • Page Content from Manual Input • Page Content from Playlist Meta Data • Page Content from Database Lookups • Page Content from Update Services See Also • Map Primary and Secondary Events • Working with Rules 9.1 Page Content from Schedules When successfully importing a schedule you have created a playlist in Viz Multichannel. This playlist may contain primary and secondary events. In addition you may also use the schedule to add in meta data in order to fill pages (i.e. secondary events) with content. To achieve this Viz Multichannel supports mapping page content field data from the following schedule files; any text, any XML or Excel. This section contains information on the following topics: • Any Text Schedules • Any XML Schedules • Excel Schedules See Also • Page Content from Manual Input • Page Content from Playlist Meta Data • Page Content from Database Lookups • Page Content from Update Services 9.1.1 Any Text Schedules The Any Text import module allows you to map fields from a fixed width file (aka indexed or space separated) or a delimited file. Before mapping secondary fields in the Primary Mapping Settings section make sure you have configured the Any Text Import Settings. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 157 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Note: You can map additional fields by adding more Field Names (e.g. secondary_fields1, secondary_fields2, secondary_fields3, and so on). To map fields from fixed width files 1. Open the Settings window 2. Select your channel 3. Select Primary Mapping Settings 4. Set the Field Name to secondary_fields and add the Reference according to the following procedure: To import fixed width files. To map fields from delimited files 1. Open the Settings window 2. Select your channel 3. Select Primary Mapping Settings 4. Set the Field Name to secondary_fields and add the Reference according to the following procedures: To import delimited files or To import delimited files with Header lines. See Also • Any Text • Working with Rules 9.1.2 Any XML Schedules The Any XML import module allows you to map fields according to a field’s name or order. Before mapping secondary fields in the Primary Mapping Settings section make sure you have mapped the primary and secondary event nodes (see the XML Import Settings and the Map Primary and Secondary Events section). To map fields by names In the Primary Mapping Settings under the Field mapping to pages section, set Allocate page field values to By field names (instead of By fields order). 1. Open the Settings window 2. Select your channel 3. Select Primary Mapping Settings, and for the mapping table add one item per field 4. Set the Field Name to secondary_fields1, secondary_fields2, and so on. Set the Reference to the path relative to the secondary event node, for example /somefield1/, /somefield2/. The field nodes should contain text in the format name==value, where name represents the page’s tab field name, and value is its value. Page 158 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide somedate name1==value1 name2==value2 To map fields according to order In the Primary Mapping Settings under the Field mapping to pages section, set Allocate page field values to By fields order (instead of By field names). Note: This method works as long as there are page fields to fill, and nodes to take values from. 1. Open the Settings window 2. Select your channel 3. Select Primary Mapping Settings, and for the mapping table add one item only 4. Set the Field Name to secondary_fields and the Reference to the secondary event node path, for example /fields/ The fields node and sub-nodes can have three possible structures. 1. Sub-nodes have different names, which are taken as the page field names. value1 value2 2. value3 Sub-nodes have different names which are ignored. The names are taken from the sub-nodes text, which must be in the format name==value. name1==value1 name2==value2 3. name3==value3 Sub-nodes have the same name, with an attribute that holds the page’s field name. value1 value2 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 159 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide value3 See Also • Any XML • Map Primary and Secondary Events • Working with Rules 9.1.3 Excel Schedules The Excel import module allows you to map fields from a Microsoft Excel file. The Excel module supports both *.xls and *.xlsx formats. Before mapping secondary fields in the Primary Mapping Settings section make sure you have configured the Excel Import Settings. To map fields from Excel files 1. Open the Settings window 2. Select your channel 3. Select Primary Mapping Settings 4. Set the Field Name to secondary_fields 5. Set the Reference to map to the first column you want to use (see Excel). All subsequent columns may also be used (see also Secondary Fields in Excel); however, you do not need to define them. See Also • Excel • Working with Rules 9.2 Page Content from Manual Input Manual input is when pages are filled with content without any connection to a schedule, playlist, database or web service (using update service). Content filling from manual input is primarily done by opening a page and filling in the data; however, you may also reference pages that are already filled with data. This section contains information on the following topics: • Manual Input • Referenced Pages 9.2.1 Manual Input Each page you add to the playlist can be manually edited; however, you can also add pages as referenced pages (see Referenced Pages) which allows you to edit one page that will change all other referenced pages. Page 160 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide To edit page fields 1. Preview the page (see how To preview a page) 2. Click a field or press the Tab button to move between fields. 3. Edit the field as necessary and move on to the next field. 4. When you are finished editing, click OK. See Also • Referenced Pages • Working with Rules 9.2.2 Referenced Pages Once a playlist is sent to the control room, there is often little scope for acrossthe-board changes. Each occurrence of a page in a playlist is independent, and editing it from within the playlist will only change that specific instance. However, you can set up a playlist in such a way as to allow for last-minute global changes by associating referenced pages to primary events. In this use case, a page is associated by reference to primary events in the playlist. When the content of the page has changed, either in the page list (left panel) or by double-clicking on one of the referenced pages in the actual playlist, all occurrences in all playlists in the current channel are changed both retroactively and henceforth. To create a referenced page 1. Preview the page (see how To preview a page) 2. Edit the page (see how To edit page fields) 3. Press and hold Alt + drag and drop the page to the playlist • The page will receive the following icon: See Also • Referenced Actions • Manual Input • Working with Rules 9.3 Page Content from Playlist Meta Data Pages can automatically retrieve information from primary event meta data in any playlist or channel. Changes to a page in the Templates and Pages view will effect all referenced occurrences of that page in a playlist. Changes to a page in the Playlists view will only have an effect on page. To populate a page based on playlist fields 1. Select your channel. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 161 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2. Open the Templates and Pages or the Playlists view. 3. Double-click a page. • This will open the Page Editor. • Select a page from the Templates and Pages view to effect all subsequent occurrences of a page in the playlist. • Select a page from the Playlists view to effect only this occurrence. 4. Right-click a field and from the appearing context menu select Edit Attribute... • This will open the Page Content Filling Window. 5. Make your configurations. 6. Click OK. See Also • Page Content Filling Window 9.4 Page Content from Database Lookups Pages can automatically retrieve information from a range of Database Connections. When working with databases it is important to always make sure the database columns match the data type of a page’s field. If a database column is of type Integer, and your field is of type String you will not be able to make any updates. Tip: Use your Media Sequencer console to debug database issues. Note that changes to a page in the Templates and Pages view will effect all referenced occurrences of that page in a playlist. Changes to a page in the Playlists view will only have an effect on page. To populate a template from a database Note: Before you start make sure you have configured your Database Connections. Page 162 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 1. Select your channel. 2. Open the Templates and Pages or the Playlists view. 3. Double-click a page. • This will open the Page Editor. 4. Right-click a field and from the appearing context menu select Database Connection... or Database Connection Fallback... • This will open the Database Connection Window. • The fallback connection allows you to map up a second database, supporting automatic fallback if the first database lacks the Id supplied in the query. 5. Make your configurations. 6. Click OK. To clear a database connection 1. Select your channel. 2. Open the Templates and Pages or the Playlists view. 3. Double-click a page. • This will open the Page Editor. 4. Right-click a field and from the appearing context menu select Clear Database Connection... 5. Click Yes. • The connection to the database is cleared for this page only. See Also • Database Connections • Database Connection Window 9.5 Page Content from Update Services Page content filling can be done by pointing your template (without a script) to an external update service (e.g. third party), that can return updated data using the Vizrt Data Format (VDF). In addition to the service mechanism you can also select which actions on the Media Sequencer that should be triggered during an update (read, take etc.) and set the timeout for each action. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 163 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Note: Using an update service currently does not allow updates at regular intervals. See Also • Update Service settings per channel • Update service settings per template • Vizrt Data Format (VDF) Page 164 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 10 Traffic Department Workflow This chapter defines and describes tasks that are typically performed by the traffic department before handing control of the playlist over to the automation system in master control. This chapter contains information on the following topics: • Working with Templates and Pages • Working with Actions • Working with Ticker Actions • Working with Playlists • Working with Video Clips • Working with Rules • Resolving Conflicts • Sending Playlists to the Master Control • Generating the Channels File See Also • Master Control Workflow 10.1 Working with Templates and Pages The first step in populating a playlist with graphics is to import Viz Artist scenes to Viz Multichannel. These scenes become templates, which can be saved to an editable form known as pages. Note: All pages added to a playlist are added as secondary events. A page can be added to the playlist, thereby creating an instance of that page. Changes to a page does not affect the page. Likewise, you can also create rules on pages, and each page resulting from the rule in the playlist is also standalone. This section contains information on the following topics: • Import Templates • Create Pages • Preview Pages • Edit Page Duration • Send Templates and Pages See Also Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 165 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Page Content Filling 10.1.1 Import Templates Templates are scenes imported from Viz Artist, and cannot be edited; however, you may create a page (i.e. an instance of the template) that can be edited (see Create Pages). To import a template 1. Click the Template Import button. • A tree representing the Viz Graphics Hub is displayed. 2. Browse for scene(s) to import, and do one of the following: • Double-click the scene to import it • Right-click the scene and from the appearing context menu select Import Template(s) • Select the scene(s) and click the Import button (lower-right) • Select a scene folder, right-click and from the appearing context menu select Import Recursively to import all scenes in that folder and sub-folders 3. Click OK. • The imported templates now appear in the Templates view (left panel). See Also • Create Pages 10.1.2 Create Pages A page is an instance of a template (see how to Import Templates) that is made editable. Meaning you can, if the template contains editable elements, add text, images, and videos to it before you add your page to the playlist. Once a page is added to the playlist it is treated as a secondary event. To create a page 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Templates and Pages button (left pane). • All templates are displayed in the left pane. 3. Right-click the template and from the appearing context menu select Save As. • You are prompted to name the new page. If the new page already exists you are prompted again to enter a new name. 4. Enter a name and click OK. • The page is now added to the Page list, seen below the Templates list. See Also Page 166 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Page Content Filling 10.1.3 Preview Pages You can preview all pages, regardless of whether or not they are editable. To preview a page 1. Select your channel 2. Click the Templates and Pages button (left pane). • All templates and pages are shown. 3. Double-click the page you wish you preview. • The page is shown in the preview window. 10.1.4 Edit Page Duration You may edit the duration field for a page, setting a default duration, before you add it to your playlist. To edit the page duration 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Templates and Pages button (left pane). 3. Select the page you want to edit. 4. Double-click the Duration field. • The Duration field becomes editable. 5. Enter the desired duration and press Enter. See Also • Resolving Conflicts 10.1.5 Send Templates and Pages Templates and pages can be manually or automatically sent to the MCR. Both options require that the MCR’s remote Media Sequencer host is defined in the Remote Hosts section under General Settings. To manually send templates and pages to the MCR 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Templates and Pages button (left pane). 3. Right-click the relevant template and select Send Template(s) and Send Page(s). • This will send templates and pages to the remote Media Sequencer host. To automatically send templates and pages to the MCR Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 167 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 1. Open the Channel Settings, and select Update Settings 2. Under the Update Options section check the Send Templates and Pages to remote host(s) option. • Whenever the Playlist Importer updates the playlist, templates and pages are sent to the remote Media Sequencer host). See Also • Sending Playlists to the Master Control 10.2 Working with Actions Actions, such as Viz and GPI, can be used to automate certain tasks. There are for example Viz Engine commands that can be used in Viz Multichannel to: • Take specific pages on air • Clear specific render layers • Send Stop, Continue, Start and other commands to a specific render layer Viz commands are created globally, and can be used on all defined channels. Nevertheless, all commands must be predefined in Viz Multichannel in order for them to be subsequently used as secondary events. This section contains information on the following topics: • Define Actions • Referenced Actions • Important Terms 10.2.1 Define Actions To define secondary event actions 1. Click the Actions button • The list of predefined commands are displayed 2. Page 168 Right-click one of the actions and from the appearing context menu select New Command or New GPO Command Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3. In the appearing dialog box enter: • Description is the descriptive term that is seen in the Actions list, as well as any drop-down list in the Rules and GPI settings panels. • Command is the actual command line sent. • Name is a pre-generated name based on type selected (e.g. viz_newcommand) - that is verified unique upon generation - and may be edited into something more descriptive. Name is the value used for scheduling (as “page name”’). 4. Click OK. Note: For more information about Viz Commands, consult the Viz Command documentation that is included with your Viz Engine/Viz Artist installation. See Also • Referenced Actions • Working with Ticker Actions 10.2.2 Referenced Actions Each occurrence of a Viz or GPI action in a playlist is independent, and editing it from within the playlist will only change that specific instance. However, you can set up a playlist in such a way as to allow for last-minute global changes by associating referenced actions to primary events. In this use case, an action is associated by reference to primary events in the playlist. When the action has changed, either in the actions list (left panel) or by double-clicking on one of the referenced actions in the actual playlist, all occurrences in all playlists in the current channel are changed both retroactively and henceforth. To create a referenced actions 1. Use an existing action or create a new one 2. Press and hold Alt + drag and drop the action to the playlist • The action will receive the following icon: See Also • Define Actions • Referenced Pages • Important Terms 10.3 Working with Ticker Actions Ticker actions are used to automate the playout and control of tickers. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 169 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide In order to automate playout of tickers you first need to export available ticker actions from your Viz Multichannel client in the MCR. When ticker actions are exported you can import them to your Viz Multichannel client in the scheduling department. This will allow you to schedule ticker actions as secondary events and test playout of tickers from scheduling. Note: As of Viz Multichannel 2.7 and Media Sequencer 1.23, a Take will put the ticker in state ON in Viz Ticker3D, and a Take Out will set it in state OFF. This also allows you to set Duration for a Ticker Action command. This section contains information on the following topics: • Export Ticker Actions • Import Ticker Actions • Schedule Ticker Actions Manually • Schedule Tickers Actions Automatically • Play Tickers Manually See Also • Actions • Working with Actions 10.3.1 Export Ticker Actions This procedure takes the ticker action’s structure in the Media Sequencer and virtually maps its XML structure (i.e. without the logic) for use by Viz Multichannel in scheduling mode. The export is performed on the Media Sequencer where the real ticker resides (i.e. Viz Multichannel in MCR mode). To export ticker actions 1. Click the Actions menu on the Main Menu. 2. Select Ticker and then Export... 3. Use the default path (or select another) and click OK. • You may enter the Viz Ticker 3D buttons path in the Media Sequencer’s VDOM structure. 4. Page 170 Enter a file name and click Save. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide See Also • Import Ticker Actions 10.3.2 Import Ticker Actions This procedure imports only a virtual version of the ticker actions (i.e. without its logic). Before you can import ticker actions you must Export Ticker Actions. To import ticker actions 1. Click the Actions menu on the Main Menu. 2. Select Ticker and then Import... . 3. Select the file to import and click Open. • The ticker actions are displayed in the left pane. See Also • Import Ticker Actions 10.3.3 Schedule Ticker Actions Manually Ticker actions, as for pages and other actions, can be manually added to the playlist as secondary events. To manually schedule tickers • Follow the same procedure To manually add a page to the playlist. See Also • Working with Ticker Actions • Schedule Tickers Actions Automatically • Play Tickers Manually 10.3.4 Schedule Tickers Actions Automatically Ticker actions, as for pages and other actions, can be automatically added to the playlist as secondary events the same way as for pages. In addition you can add them through import rules. Note that all actions (as for pages) can be mapped to via a schedule by referring to the action’s name (see Import Ticker Actions) while mapped as a secondary event (see the Table Columns’ secondary_page setting). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 171 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide To automatically schedule tickers • Use the name of the ticker actions in your schedule. To define a rule on a Ticker Command 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Rules button. 3. Continue with the procedures in the Working with Rules section. See Also • Working with Ticker Actions • Schedule Ticker Actions Manually • Play Tickers Manually 10.3.5 Play Tickers Manually This procedure is performed on Viz Multichannel in MCR where the real tickers reside. To manually play tickers 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Actions button. 3. Right-click the command which you want to play and select Run Command. See Also • Working with Ticker Actions 10.4 Working with Playlists Viz Multichannel’s main task as an application is to import schedules, and consequently create, update and execute programming playlists. A playlist is composed of primary events (programs), which in turn can contain associated secondary events (pages and actions). Playlists can be created as a continuous playlist or as a playlist per broadcast day. When creating a continuous playlist you cannot add playlists per broadcast day, and conversely. Each new broadcast day playlist will have a different date, regardless of the day you created it on. For example, if you create two playlists today, the Page 172 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide first one will be dated today by default, and the following one will be dated tomorrow. This section contains information on the following topics: • Import a Schedule • Create a Playlist • Delete a Playlist • Add Primary Events to a Playlist • Add Secondary Events to a Playlist • Delete Events from a Playlist • Update a Playlist • Export a Playlist See Also • Master Control Workflow on how to activate, initialize and manually take events on air • Playlist Date Management • Working with Actions as secondary event actions in a playlist 10.4.1 Import a Schedule Viz Multichannel can import a schedule from an external source. However, there are certain parameters to configure the first time you import it. Schedules are generally composed by the traffic departments. Many scheduling systems can create schedules with both primary events and secondary events, i.e. schedule plus associated pages. Viz Multichannel also supports user-defined rules for automatic insertion of secondary events. Schedule file formats that can be imported as playlists are: • Any Text (*.csv, *.txt, *.vicc) • Any XML (*.xml) • Excel (*.xls, *.xlsx) • Harris ADC-100 (*.lst, *.rcv) • Omnibus (*.osc) If this is the first time you are importing a schedule, you must first complete the procedures in the following sections: • General Settings • Working with Rules To import a schedule 1. Select your channel Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 173 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2. From the toolbar, click the Import schedule button 3. Select the file to import and click Open. See Also • Import Guide • Create a Playlist 10.4.2 Create a Playlist Viz Multichannel can create a playlist based on an imported schedule, or create one manually. Note that the common and preferred way is to import schedules from scheduling systems (see Import a Schedule). To manually create a playlist 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 3. Click the Create New Playlist button • A new row representing the new playlist is added. 10.4.3 Delete a Playlist To manually delete a playlist 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 3. Select the playlist and do one of the following: • Right-click the playlist item and select Delete Playlist from the context menu, or • Click the Delete Playlist button on the toolbar 4. Page 174 Click Yes to confirm. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 10.4.4 Add Primary Events to a Playlist To manually add primary events to a playlist 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 10.4.5 3. Open your Playlist. 4. Right-click the relevant playlist and from the appearing context menu, select Add Primary Event. Add Secondary Events to a Playlist Secondary events can be pages and video clips, or a combination thereof. To manually add a page to the playlist 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 3. Open your playlist. 4. Click the Templates and Pages or Video Clips button. 5. Drag and drop a page or video clip on top of a primary event. Note: If you press when dragging a page onto the playlist, the resulting secondary event will be associated by reference only to the original page. For more information, see Referenced Pages. • The secondary event appears below the primary event. If there are several secondary events, they will be sorted according to their offsets. • The most important fields to edit are generally the offset and Duration fields. Note: If a field is not editable you can check the relevant column’s Edit Events check-box seen in the mapping table (see Primary Mapping Settings). See Also • Working with Templates and Pages • Working with Video Clips 10.4.6 Delete Events from a Playlist To manually delete events from a playlist 1. Select your channel. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 175 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 10.4.7 3. Open your playlist. 4. In the playlist, right-click the relevant event and select Remove from the appearing context menu. Update a Playlist If there are changes to be made to a playlist, you have the following options: • Full Update • Full Update Without Event Deletion • Update Times Note that you can schedule automatic updates in the Update Settings. Full Update The Full Update option merges the current playlist with changes made to the schedule. Priorities and updates of existing secondary events are determined by configurations done in the Full Update Options for Secondary Events section. See also the Working with Rules and Resolving Conflicts sections. Full Update Without Event Deletion The Full Update Without Event Deletion option merges the current playlist with changes made to the schedule, without deleting existing primary events. Update Times The Update Times option is for imported schedules only. It is an update of primary events’ begin time, duration and offset from changes that have been made to the schedule. Any primary event additions or deletions are ignored. Only the times are updated. See Also • Update Settings • Page Content Filling 10.4.8 Export a Playlist To export a playlist 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. Page 176 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3. Open your playlist. 4. From the toolbar, click the Export Playlist button. If the original playlist was LST, then the exported playlist can be merged with the original file. For all other formats, you are prompted to save the file and assign a name in the relevant format. 10.5 Working with Video Clips Viz Multichannel integrates with Viz One which allows you to add video clips to your graphics, and conversely. Graphics with video clips can be added to the playlist as secondary events. Note that video clips as primary events can only be imported to the playlist from the schedule. Video clips as secondary events may be manually added to the playlist; however, it is more common to import them from the schedule. In order to preview video clips locally you need to install and configure the relevant codecs (see Video Preview Configuration). In order to work with graphics and video clips together you also need to have a Preview Server configured and running. This section contains information on the following topics: • Preview of Video Clips • Video Clips in Playlists • Video Clips and Graphics See Also • Preview Server • Video Preview Configuration 10.5.1 Preview of Video Clips Preview of a video clip inside Viz Multichannel is based on a low-resolution proxy version streamed from Viz One. Note that in order to preview video clips locally you need to install and configure the relevant codecs (see Video Preview Configuration). To preview a video clip 1. Click the Video Clips button. 2. Search for a video. 3. Double-click the video to preview it. Alternatively, you can Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 177 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 10.5.2 1. Click the Playlists button and open your playlist. 2. Search for a video. 3. Double-click the video to preview it. Video Clips in Playlists Note that video clips as secondary events may be manually added to the playlist; however, it is more common to import them from the schedule. To add video clips to the playlist 10.5.3 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button and open your playlist. 3. Click the Video Clips button. 4. Search for a video. 5. Drag and drop your video placing it as a secondary event. 6. Double-click the video to preview it in the Timeline Editor. Video Clips and Graphics Viz Multichannel supports two ways of combining graphics and video. You can either add graphics on top of a video clip, or you can add video to graphics. Note that in order to work with graphics and video clips together you also need to have a Preview Server configured and running. This section contains information on the following topics: • To add graphics to video clips • To add video clips to graphics To add graphics to video clips Page 178 1. Select your channel 2. Click the Playlists button and open your playlist. 3. Add a video clip as a secondary event (see how To add video clips to the playlist). 4. Add a page to the video clip (see how To manually add a page to the playlist). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • This will add the page as sub element of the video clip, grouping them together. • If the page does not have a default duration set, you can set one by editing the page’s Duration column. 5. Double-click the video clip to open the Timeline Editor. • This will allow you to adjust the offset and duration of the graphics. To add video clips to graphics 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Templates and Pages button. 3. Open your template or page to open the Page Editor. 4. Select the tab field that will hold the video. • This will open the video search frame. 5. Search for and select (e.g. double-click) a video. • If the clip channel is set to automatically play the video you should be able to see a low-resolution version of the video. 6. Click Save As and enter a new page name. See Also Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 179 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Page Editor • Timeline Editor 10.6 Working with Rules For imported (and subsequently updated) playlists, you can create sets of rules that govern how pages can be automatically inserted into certain events within a playlist. Rules are defined on a per-page basis; however, rules can also be applied to Actions. Rules are applied when working with schedules or updating playlists from an external source. Any number of conditions can be applied on top of rules for extra filtering. This section contains information on the following topics: • Add a Rule • Add Condition to a Rule • Delete a Condition for a Rule • Back up and Restore Rules • Delete a Rule See Also • Working with Playlists • Import a Schedule • Update a Playlist • Working with Actions 10.6.1 Add a Rule To add a new rule 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Rules button. • All templates are displayed in the left pane and rules are shown in the right pane. 3. Page 180 Right-click in the right pane and select Add New Rule from the appearing context menu. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 4. Continue with configuring the rule. • See the Rules section for a description of the different columns. See Also • Rules 10.6.2 Add Condition to a Rule Any number of conditions can be applied to a rule so that the rule is applied only when specific criteria are met. Without conditions, rules are applied on every primary event when a playlist is imported. Conditions are made up of an attribute representing a column in the playlist table, an operator (greater than, less than, equal to, etc.) and a value (time, number, text). Only when the condition as defined is met will the rule be applied on that particular event. Likewise, when there are multiple conditions, only when all of them are met will the rule be applied to an event. For any event dealing with time (e.g. 19:00:00) Viz Multichannel can look up elements that start after a given time (>) or at a given time and later (>=). In addition Viz Multichannel can do partial matches on strings which allows you to find primary elements that is “right before”, “first one before this” or “current one at this time”. Partial match In order to find partial matches such as “NEWS*” to match against “NEWSROOM” you use the partial match operator (~=). This allows for string based comparisons of partial hits (“contains”) and time-based comparisons (“currently playing”). The logic for time-based look-up using the partial match operator would be a proper check of “time” (e.g. at 19:00:00) and start-time of a primary element (e.g. at 18:45:00) and its duration (e.g. 00:30:00) and detect that the primary element is currently on air. Partial match enables Viz Multichannel to take pages such as “Now playing at channel X” and “In this movie channel Y we are watching NN” and “Over at our sports channel Z they are watching MM”. To define and edit conditions 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Rules button. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 181 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • The list of rules is displayed in the right pane. 3. Right-click the desired rule and select Edit Conditions for Rule from the appearing context menu. The Conditions for Rule “Some Rule” window is displayed. 4. To add a new condition, click the + button. 5. Click the Attributes column, and select the corresponding playlist column that the condition will apply to. 6. Click the Operator column and make a selection. 7. Click the Value column and enter a time, number or text. Time format is hh:nn:ss:ff. 8. Click OK. = equal to > greater than < less than >= greater than or equal to <= less than or equal to <> different from ~= partial match WeekDayNumberIn Checks if the value of the attribute and the playlist date fall on the same day of the week. See Also • Delete a Condition for a Rule 10.6.3 Delete a Condition for a Rule To delete a condition 1. Page 182 Select your channel. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2. Click the Rules button. • The list of rules is displayed in the right pane. 3. Right-click the desired rule and select Edit Conditions for Rule from the appearing context menu. • The Conditions for Rule “Some Rule” window is displayed. 4. To delete a condition, click it and then click the - button. 5. Click OK. See Also • Add Condition to a Rule 10.6.4 Back up and Restore Rules All rules and their associated conditions can be saved as XML files for later use. To back up rules 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Rules button. • The list of rules is displayed in the right pane. 3. Right-click in the right pane and select Save Rules for Channel from the appearing context menu. 4. Enter a file name and click Save. To restore rules 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Rules button. • The list of rules is displayed in the right pane. 3. Right-click in the right pane and select Load Rules for Channel from the appearing context menu. • You are asked to confirm the overwriting of any existing rules. 4. Click Yes to proceed. 5. Select the XML rules file and click Open. See Also • Add a Rule • Delete a Rule 10.6.5 Delete a Rule To delete a rule 1. Select your channel. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 183 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2. Click the Rules button. • The list of rules is displayed in the right pane. 3. Right-click on the desired rule and select Delete Rule from the appearing context menu. See Also • Add a Rule • Back up and Restore Rules 10.7 Resolving Conflicts Viz Multichannel ensures that if all necessary data is available to the event, there will never be conflicts or clashes. The playlist must therefore include the following data for every instance: • Event ID • Primary event begin time • Primary event duration • Secondary event offset • Secondary event duration Nevertheless, take note of the following conflict scenarios: • If secondary event duration is not defined, it will be considered as 00:00:00:00. 10.8 Sending Playlists to the Master Control Once all aspects of the Playlist have been completely and properly configured, you can send it to the master control room (MCR), for broadcast. To send a Playlist to the Master Control 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 3. Right-click the relevant Playlist, and select Send Playlist from the appearing context menu. The Playlist is sent to the MCR machine indicated when defining the remote host(s) in the Remote Hosts field (see Basic Settings). 10.9 Generating the Channels File Once you have finished all scheduling tasks, before proceeding to monitor your playlists in MCR mode, you should manually regenerate the channels file. Page 184 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide It is essential that the IP addresses for the Remote Hosts have been properly configured per-channel in the General Settings. To regenerate channels file 1. From the main menu select the Tools option 2. From the Tools menu click Generate Channels File. • You are prompted to allow Viz Multichannel to overwrite the existing file. 3. Click Yes. The channels file is located in C:\Program Files\Vizrt\Viz Multichannel., and is named channels.ini. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 185 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 186 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 11 Master Control Workflow This chapter defines and describes tasks that are typically performed by the automation system after control of the playlist has been handed over by the scheduling system in the traffic department. This chapter contains information on the following topics: • Activate the Playlist • Initialize the Playlist • Run the Playlist • Triggers • Monitoring • Live Schedule Updates • Failover Procedure See Also • Traffic Department Workflow • Important Terms 11.1 Activate the Playlist A playlist that has been activated for the currently selected channel enables Media Sequencer to start transfers of full screen video clips from your media asset management system (e.g. Viz One) to Viz Engine for playout. When activated the Media Sequencer is made aware of the playlist’s schedule. Without it, the Media Sequencer will not be able to initialize the elements and run the playlist properly. Hence, once activated you can Initialize the Playlist. A playlist may be automatically activated based on Rules and/or Day Switch Options (the latter is common for broadcast day playlists) or manually by clicking the Activate button (when the playlist is open). To manually activate the playlist 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 3. Open your playlist. 4. From the Playlist Toolbar, click the Run Playlist button. 5. Initialize the Playlist. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 187 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 6. Run the Playlist. See Also • Initialize the Playlist • Run the Playlist • Playlist Toolbar • Working with Rules • Day Switch Options 11.2 Initialize the Playlist An initialized playlist, initialized for the currently selected channel, has all its pages (i.e. the graphics which includes embedded video clips and imagery) loaded on the program Viz Engine for playout. When activated and initialized the Media Sequencer is aware of the playlist’s schedule and is able to Run the Playlist. A playlist may be initialized based on Rules (common for continuous playlists), Day Switch Options (common for broadcast day playlists) or manually by clicking the Initialize button (when the playlist is open and active). To manually initialize the playlist 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 3. Open your playlist. 4. Activate the Playlist. 5. From the Playlist Toolbar, click the Initialize Playlist button. 6. Run the Playlist. See Also • Activate the Playlist • Run the Playlist • Playlist Toolbar • Working with Rules • Day Switch Options Page 188 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 11.3 Run the Playlist A playlist in run mode has been activated and initialized for the currently selected channel. This means that all full screen video clips and all pages (i.e. the graphics which includes embedded video clips and imagery) are available and loaded on the program Viz Engine for playout. When in run mode the Media Sequencer has a playlist that is activated and initialized and the system can take elements on air. A playlist is in almost all cases automatically run by the Media Sequencer. If there are multiple broadcast day playlists, they run according to Day Switch Options. A playlist can be manually run by an operator, but this is not recommended nor common. Note: Only one playlist per channel can be in Run mode at a time. To manually run a playlist 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. • All existing playlists for the selected channel are displayed. 3. Open your playlist. 4. Activate the Playlist. 5. Initialize the Playlist. 6. From the Playlist Toolbar, click the Run Playlist button. When in Run mode, the film roll icon seen at the top of the playlist will turn green. When stopped, the icon will be grayed out. Whenever manual intervention is required, you may control the playout using the control buttons available on the Playlist Toolbar. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 189 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Take: Takes the selected playlist element (or group of elements) on air. • Continue: Continues the animation of the playlist element. • Take Out: Takes the current playlist element off air. See Also • Activate the Playlist • Initialize the Playlist • Playlist Toolbar • Day Switch Options 11.4 Triggers Triggers can be set on Primary events an Secondary events (i.e. pages and video clips). Note that triggers are configured in the Basic Settings. Triggers are only accepted when a Playlist is in Run mode. Primary events Primary events are triggered by automation systems that send triggers to start playing out groups (primary event/element). All secondary events that exist under each group are automatically played out by Viz Multichannel. Playout of the secondary events is relative to the time of the trigger of the primary event and based on the secondary events’ defined offset (see Playlist Columns). Secondary events Secondary events can be triggered by automation systems. This includes all types of secondary events such as pages with video clips and video clips with graphics overlay. In the case of secondary events, Viz Multichannel will simply act as a slave system listening for triggers to take events on air. See Also • Basic Settings • External triggering options: • GPI • VDCP • Intelligent Interface • TCP • Important Terms Page 190 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 11.5 Monitoring In most cases Viz Multichannel requires little or no monitoring as it in most cases is the automation system that controls the playout. Also, in the Control Room you typically monitor playout live on TV displays set up for that purpose. In addition you can also see the same on the dedicated Viz Engine machine (if one is setup). When monitoring is required you can see the status of the Media Sequencer in the left pane. If the channel configuration is OK, lights will be green. If there is any problem, lights will be red. Mouse over the red light for an indication of the problem. This will tell you if the Media Sequencer and your configured playout devices are working properly. To disable the system status LED panel 1. In Windows Explorer, browse to Viz Multichannel’s installation folder and open the VizRundown.ini file in the text editor of your choice. 2. Under GUI OPTIONS, ensure that the value for IsIndicatorsPanelEnabled is set to 0. 3. Save and close the file. 4. Restart Viz Multichannel. See Also • Important Terms 11.6 Live Schedule Updates If playlists are expected to by highly changeable, it is recommended that updates be done in the scheduling system and updates to Viz Multichannel be done automatically and frequently, using the automatic import. Once a playlist is in Run mode, Viz Multichannel can be 100% synchronized with the schedule from the automation system. See Also • Automatic Import Settings • Traffic Department Workflow Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 191 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 11.7 Failover Procedure In the case of failover, you need to be prepared beforehand to accommodate such a situation. The following procedure will help you be prepared and to subsequently take additional actions as required. The prerequisite to backing up is to have an extra machine for the Viz Engine and Media Sequencer, as well as for the Viz Multichannel client. To back up your Viz Multichannel client 1. Prepare the client machine as described in the Playout section. 2. From the main client, copy the channels.ini files to the backup client. 3. In the event of a client failover, launch Viz Multichannel from this backup client. To back up your channels 1. Prepare a Viz Engine machine that can accommodate any existing channels, meaning with Viz Engine and Media Sequencer installed. 2. Add the remote host as a new remote host for all channels to this backup machine, in accordance with the General Settings. Channel Failover Procedure Page 192 1. Modify the channels.ini file on the Viz Multichannel client so that failed channel points to the backup machine, as described in the Playout section. 2. Restart the Viz Multichannel client. 3. Select the failed channel, initialize today’s playlist, and run it. 4. Set the video router to point to the new machine. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 12 Logging and Billing This section contains information on the following topics: • Daily Log • As Run Logs • Channel and Playlist Reports 12.1 Daily Log For information, troubleshooting, and billing purposes, there is a daily log file that provides details on every event that was played. The file is located on the Media Sequencer machine at: C:\data\logs. It is not set up as part of the installation process, hence, it must be created as part of the installation process described in the Playout section. The logging file naming convention is ChannelName-YY-MM-DD.log. Each file includes the events played on that calendar day, which may not necessarily corresponds to a playlist. As such, the events in a playlist that starts at 7 AM and extends till the following day at 6 AM will be saved in two separate files, one for each calendar day. Below is an example of a log file’s contents: 2007-12-18 12:06:36: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_14_24_40_681_13_12_2007_823_IM_0 2007-12-18 12:06:41: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_14_24_40_681_13_12_2007_823_IM_0 2007-12-18 12:07:15: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_12_06_58_663_18_12_2007_22_PA_0 2007-12-18 12:08:28: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_14_24_40_681_13_12_2007_823_IM_0 2007-12-18 12:09:34: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_14_24_40_681_13_12_2007_823_IM_0 2007-12-18 12:09:39: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_14_24_40_681_13_12_2007_823_IM_0 2007-12-18 12:09:46: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_12_06_58_663_18_12_2007_22_PA_0 2007-12-18 12:16:50: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_14_24_40_759_13_12_2007_715_IM_2 2007-12-18 12:16:53: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/ PLAYLIST_DATA_ROMY_12_16_29_344_18_12_2007_319_DR_0 2007-12-18 12:18:12: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/102 2007-12-18 12:18:17: Running: read on /VizRundown/channels/AD/rundowns/21_11_2005_AD/data/102 See Also • Important Terms 12.2 As Run Logs Daily log files in and of themselves are difficult to understand. However, you can submit them to log analysis to mine them for useful information. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 193 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide In order to analyze the As Run logs you need to manually transfer the logs to your machine. The log directory on your remote Media Sequencer is set under the Logging section. Each log entry contains the event date and time, template name, with the content of each template field. If a given page is from a third-party advertiser, you can use the exact occurrences for billing purposes. If you want to perform simple analysis of your logs using Viz Multichannel you can use its built-in analysis tool (see how To analyze a log). This section contains information on the following topics: • To analyze a log • Standard log sample • JSON log sample To analyze a log 1. Start Viz Multichannel 2. Select Analyze Log from the Tools menu 3. Select your channel. 4. Select the from and to dates and click OK. 5. Select the log folder where you transferred the files to. 6. Click OK. • A log file is replicated with the same file name except it starts with Report-. Standard log sample Below is an example of a standard log file’s contents: Date|Time|Action|Event Type|Description|Values 2013-05-31|14:03:57.970:|take|Element|1000|Fields: 1: JSON log sample Below is an example of a JSON log file’s content: 2006-10-06 23:29:34: Template: START_SQUEEZE Fields: 30: IMAGE*world_sports/swoosh 31: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic2 32: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic2 Header: Tonight IMG1: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic IMG2: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic IMG3: IMAGE*YES_NEW/ YesStars/Empty_Pic Text1: Special Text2: aaaaaaaaaaaaa 2006-10-06 23:29:37: Template: Top-Year Fields: 1: 1992 2006-10-06 23:29:38: Template: PURPLE_TOP_COMM_CLIP Fields: Text1: bla bla Text2: soccer wife Title1: help me Title2: today 22:00 comm_clip: ./dataclip/Dog.avi 2006-10-06 23:31:54: Template: START_SQUEEZE Fields: 30: IMAGE*world_sports/swoosh 31: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic2 32: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic2 Header: Tonight IMG1: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic IMG2: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic IMG3: IMAGE*YES_NEW/ YesStars/Empty_Pic Text1: Special Text2: aaaaaaaaaaaaa Page 194 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2006-10-06 23:32:26: Template: START_SQUEEZE Fields: 30: IMAGE*world_sports/swoosh 31: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic2 32: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic2 Header: Tonight IMG1: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic IMG2: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic IMG3: IMAGE*YES_NEW/ YesStars/Empty_Pic Text1: Special Text2: aaaaaaaaaaaaa 2006-10-06 23:33:11: Template: START_SQUEEZE Fields: 30: IMAGE*world_sports/swoosh 31: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic2 32: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic2 Header: Tonight IMG1: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic IMG2: IMAGE*YES_NEW/YesStars/Empty_Pic IMG3: IMAGE*YES_NEW/ YesStars/Empty_Pic Text1: Special Text2: aaaaaaaaaaaaa See Also • Logging 12.3 Channel and Playlist Reports Channel and playlist reports can be created two ways; for a single channel and playlist or for multiple channels and playlists. To create a report based on a single channel and playlist For information on how to set the Playlist Reports Folder, see the Miscellaneous section. 1. Select your channel. 2. Click the Playlists button. 3. Right-click your playlist and from the appearing context menu select Generate Report. • An HTML report will open in your default browser. To create a report based on multiple channels and playlists 1. Select Tools from the main menu, and then Reports Manager • This will open the 2. Click the Playlists button. 3. Right-click on the desired playlist, and from the context menu select Generate Report. • An HTML report will open in your default browser. 4. From the Channels combo-box, select all the channels to run the report on. 5. Select the From and To dates to run the report on. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 195 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 6. If desired, enable the From and To times with the check box, and select the times to run the report on. 7. Select the path where the text file report will be saved. 8. Click OK. The resulting report looks as follows: Channel|Date|Time|Event Type|Duration|Program|Template|Fields Channel1|continuous|2013-05-29T12:55:00.000|Primary|01:34:40:18|Glory God is peeking through the blinds| Channel1|continuous|2013-05-29T12:55:00.000|Secondary|00:00:00:00||1000|Bergen in snow See Also • Miscellaneous Page 196 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 13 Scheduling System Integrations A Viz Multichannel system has to integrate with external systems. This can be integrations to other Vizrt systems such as Viz One, Viz Ticker 3D or third party systems. Third party systems are often categorized as being a scheduling or an automation system. In general, Viz Multichannel has two major working modes: Scheduling mode and Master Control Room (MCR) mode. A Scheduling System (typically a module within a larger traffic system) is located in the traffic department (or Promotion/Content Department, or Preparation area) and is responsible for building schedules for playout. A schedule will contain all primary events (programs, promotions, commercials, and so on) and may also contain secondary events (Vizrt graphics and/or other device actions). Viz Multichannel’s integration with scheduling systems is by reading (i.e. importing) the schedule from them. Reading a schedule can be done in two ways: 1. The scheduling system generates a schedule file in any given format (XML, text, Microsoft Excel, LST and more). Viz Multichannel imports the file and parses it to an internal playlist which eventually contains all primary and secondary events (typically Vizrt graphics). 2. When an API is provided by the scheduling system, Viz Multichannel can read the schedule directly from it, skipping the file part. Optional integration is reporting based on As Run Logs. Scheduling is the mode used for building a schedule (to Viz Multichannel known as a playlist). This is where scenes are imported, rules are created, the templates’ auto-content is configured, etc. In Scheduling mode usually one Viz Multichannel client connects to one Media Sequencer, both installed on the same machine, storing data from multiple (up to all) channels. Scheduling mode is required when manual action is expected in building the playlist in Viz Multichannel (manual secondary events scheduling/editing, preview for approval, etc.). Viz Multichannel running in scheduling mode is usually installed in the traffic department. Note: Viz Multichannel integrates with a range of scheduling systems not mentioned in this document. Please contact your local Vizrt representative for more information. See Also • Important Terms • Automation System Integrations Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 197 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 198 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 14 Automation System Integrations A Viz Multichannel system has to integrate with external systems. This can be integrations to other Vizrt systems such as Viz One, Viz Ticker 3D or third party systems. Third party systems are often categorized as being a scheduling or an automation system. In general, Viz Multichannel has two major working modes: Scheduling mode and Master Control Room (MCR) mode. This chapter describes some of the more common automation systems Viz Multichannel integrates with. An Automation System is located in the Master Control Room and is responsible for controlling all devices in the room in real-time (e.g. video server, keyers, CG, etc.). Viz Multichannel’s integrations with automation systems are: 1. Triggering: Automation system triggers Viz Multichannel (via Media Sequencer) for starting of either primary or secondary events. Triggering protocols supported by Vizrt are TCP/IP, Intelligent Interface, VDCP, GPI, and REST. 2. Last minute updates: If an automation system provides an API or an option to automatically generate an update file, Viz Multichannel knows to update its playlist using these. This is usually done with the Schedule Collector tool. The Schedule Collector’s biggest advantage is that it stores previous data in an internal cache and therefore makes updates more efficient by saving idle updates and passing only changed events. MCR is the mode used for playing the playlists, monitoring, manual control (in emergency for example) and last minute updates. In MCR mode usually one Viz Multichannel connects to one Media Sequencer per channel. Viz Multichannel is installed on a single machine and Media Sequencers are installed on the Viz Engines. MCR mode has all the scheduling features available in Scheduling mode. Viz Multichannel running in MCR mode is usually installed in the Master Control Room. Viz Multichannel integrates with a range of automation systems. For an overview of the systems and how to configure them read the following sections: • ADC-100 by Harris Broadcast • D-Series by Harris Broadcast • Neptune by Pebble Beach Systems • iTx by Miranda Technologies Note: If you do not find your automation system listed we may still support it. Please contact your local Vizrt representative for more information. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 199 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide See Also • Scheduling System Integrations 14.1 ADC-100 by Harris Broadcast This section describes configuring the Automated Content Management and Distribution system (ADC-100) by Harris Broadcast to work with Viz Multichannel. It describes the setup on the ADC side and contains information on the following topics: • General Information and Setup • Trigger Viz Multichannel Using VDCP • Trigger Viz Multichannel Using USD • Automatic Playlist Updates Using RCV Files 14.1.1 General Information and Setup An ADC-100 system can trigger Viz Multichannel (by sending commands to Media Sequencer) through VDCP or Universal Sercom Device (USD) using either TCP/IP or VDCP. Note: Both version 11 and 12 of the LST format is supported. Advantages of VDCP are: • Standard • Proved to work for many customers Advantages of USD are: • Can be used over TCP/IP thus saving serial ports and additional cabling This section contains information on the following topics: • Triggering • Updating LST by Export • Updating LST by Import • Updating Live • Limitations Triggering Triggering should be Primary/Secondary Events selected. Primary Event Defaults should be Triggered (Ext) selected. The ADC-100 system reads playlist data via files in LST format (binary files). Page 200 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Reconcile field value in the LST is read into the Event ID field in Viz Multichannel and is must be set in order to receive playlist updates. An empty or corrupted Reconcile value will omit that event from the update procedure. If primary events triggering is selected then Viz Multichannel can import the same LST file that is provided by the ADC-100 system because the data required for the triggering is available in it. If secondary events triggering is selected and all Vizrt secondary events are received from the scheduling system (i.e. in the LST file) then Viz Multichannel can import the same LST file that is provided by the ADC-100 system because the data required for the triggering is available in it (as long as secondary events contain assigned ID fields). If secondary events triggering is selected and there are Vizrt secondary events that are generated by Viz Multichannel (manually or by import rules) then Viz Multichannel must export a new LST with the data required for the triggering in it. Updating LST by Export While exporting Viz Multichannel will make sure all secondary events have a Media ID value assigned (if secondary events triggering is selected) and assign it to the LST ID field. Either exporting LST from scratch or merging into the original LST is optional. Merging is preferable since it only appends the new secondary events to the LST file and will assure that original data is not touched. Updating LST by Import Two mapping options are available, either with or without secondary events. Refer to (folder path) folder in Viz Multichannel installation for sample mapping settings and playlists. Channel name can be read from the filename. If filename does not contain a channel identifier, either do not map channel value or set Traffic Channel Name to 1 in Viz Multichannel’s Basic Settings. Updating Live Recovery (RCV): The Harris ADC-100 can auto-generate a recovery file (*.RCV) on every playlist change. RCV files are in LST format. Viz Multichannel can monitor a folder and update its playlist according to the RCV file once it is generated. Broadcast Exchange Format (BXF): Viz Multichannel supports processing BXF schedules. LST files managed by Schedule Collector tool: Schedule Collector can monitor a folder for LST update files. Using its cache memory, updates will be attempted only for changed events. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 201 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Limitations The LST format only allows for 32 character titles and misses other necessary fields such as local language titles. Allow replay – Media Sequencer virtually removes played events from its exposable list, so Vizrt events will be marked as MISSED on ADC-100 side although played successfully. 14.1.2 Trigger Viz Multichannel Using VDCP The standard configuration of Viz Multichannel is triggering by a serial connection using Video Disk Control Protocol (VDCP). Any Device Server version allows controlling Viz Multichannel, provided that it has a Video Disk driver. This section contains information on the following topics: • Connections • Device Configuration • Operation Connections Use an RS422 board on the machine with Media Sequencer, for example: Blue Heat/PCI of Connect Tech Inc. The following custom cables are required to connect the Media Sequencer to the ADC-100 system. ADC-100 to Media Sequencer: Connections ADC-100 Media Sequencer Machine 2 (Rx -) 2 (Tx -) 3 (Tx +) 3 (Rx +) 7 (Rx +) 7 (Tx +) 8 (Tx -) 8 (Rx -) Device Configuration To configure the software Page 202 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 1. Make sure that under Windows Configuration on the Media Sequencer machine, the COM port used has the following suggested parameters. • Bits per second: 38400 • Data bits: 8 • Parity: Odd • Stop bits: 1 • Flow control: None 2. Enable the VDCP device on Viz Multichannel and ensure it is configured properly with that port and also turned on. To configure the Viz driver 1. Launch the ADC-100 Configuration Utility and locate the icon that represents your Device Server. 2. Right-click the icon, and select Configured Devices. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 203 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 3. In the Available column on the left, locate the Standard Video Disk driver under the Video Disk category. Click and drag the driver to one of the channels on the Configured column that reads NO DEVICE. 4. Double-click on the Disk device that was just created. From the resulting dialog select the Serial Port tab. 5. Select the physical port the Media Sequencer is connected to. The Harris Device Server is now configured properly to communicate with the Media Sequencer. 6. .Configure the following parameters on the General tab: • Device Name will appear in the Device Status and configuration windows on the client applications. The default name may be used, but it is recommended to use unique names for easy identification later. • ID Match Name will be used in the Transmission List’s ID Field to let the system know that the event is intended for the Vizrt device. • Stop Disk Play can be set or not depending on the need. • Back to Back Play can be set or not depending on the need. Page 204 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Update Event Duration from Disk must be unchecked. 7. The Vizrt Standard Video Disk must also be assigned to a Transmission List to be schedule to air. Note: If you are using Extended IDs, you may not use the Standard Video Disk driver. Additionally, the Media Sequencer does not have the notion of duration, so the parameter Update Duration from Disk must be unchecked to avoid too many error messages when ADC driver asks for the IDs list. Operation Viz Multichannel uses Secondary A/V or Secondary Backtimed events to execute the pre-loading and playout of media. 14.1.3 Trigger Viz Multichannel Using USD When configuring Viz Multichannel to be triggered by a Universal Sercom Device (USD) driver you can either configure it to use TCP or Serial Communication. This section contains information on the following topics: Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 205 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • USD Device Configuration • Notes • Operation USD Device Configuration To configure the Vizrt driver Page 206 1. Launch the ADC-100 Configuration Utility and locate the icon that represents your Device Server. 2. Right-click the icon, and select Configured Devices. 3. In the Available column on the left, under the Advanced Devices category, locate the Universal Sercom Driver. Click and drag the driver to one of the channels in the Configured column that reads NO DEVICE. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide A new device will appear in the left pane of Configured Devices main window. 4. Right-click the new device and select Properties. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 207 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 208 5. In General tab replace default name and ID with VIZRT001 and click Apply. 6. In Connection tab, insert Media Sequencer machine’s IP/Host or Serial value and the Port (for TCP) as configured in Viz Multichannel TCP or VDCP device settings. 7. In Macros tab click the Add button to create a new macro. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide The Extended Macro Entry dialog is displayed. 8. In the Cue tab set the Macro Name to VIZRT. 9. Set the Number of Parameters to 1. 10. Check the Command check box. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 209 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 11. In the Command field, enter the command to be used. Page 210 1. To edit the graphics stopping macro string, click the End tab. 2. Check the Command check box. 3. Set the Number of Parameters to 1. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Play will be triggered when an event starts. End will be triggered when an event ends. Notes When an event is triggered (primary or secondary), the command take id is sent where id is the Media ID value in Viz Multichannel and ID field value in ADC-100. • Harris playlist (*.LST) USD format: • TITLE field: macro_name:ext_id (Media ID). For example: VIZRT:MCP2 • ID field: USD_NAME (device) name • Reconcile Key field: Template name • Harris macro format: trigger_command [1]{D0A}. For example: PAGE_START [1] {D0A}. {D0A} is the char symbol for Enter. Operation Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 211 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Viz uses A/V, Secondary A/V to execute the pre-loading and playout of media. 14.1.4 Automatic Playlist Updates Using RCV Files Auto List Save allows automatic list savings based on the number of list changes that occur on an active on-air transmission list. Number of changes value indicates how often the list is automatically saved to an RCV file. RCV file will be read by Multichannel and update its playlist accordingly. To enable Auto List Save 1. Page 212 From the main menu select Properties > Auto List Save. The Auto List Save dialog is displayed. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 2. Click the Add button. The Choose List dialog is displayed. 3. Select a list from the Available Lists pane and click OK. The Save Options dialog displayed. 4. Save LookAhead: (Default: enabled) Check to enable save of the list look ahead only. 5. Save Full: Check to enable save of the full list 6. Save Frequency: (Default: 10) Specify the number of changes required before a list save is initiated. This is the value of how many events go by NOT how many "edits" are performed. 7. Save Directory: Specify the save directory for the saved list. (Click ’…’ to browse for a location.) Viz Multichannel will scan the specified folder for new RCV file updates. 8. Click OK. The list is added to the Enabled Lists pane. 14.2 D-Series by Harris Broadcast This section describes configuring the Playout Automation for Enterprise Environments system (D-Series) by Harris Broadcast to work with Viz Multichannel. It describes the setup on the D-Series side and contains information on the following topics: This section contains information on the following topics: • General Information and Setup Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 213 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 14.2.1 General Information and Setup On the Viz Multichannel side it is similar to the ADC-100 setup; however, Universal Sercom Device is not available, and the LST file provided by the DSeries is not binary but text file based. This section contains information on the following topics: • Updating Live • Limitations Updating Live VICC: D-Series automatically generates text format *.VICC files into a dropfolder, a line per primary event (secondary events in the primary event’s line). Viz Multichannel can scan that folder and update playlists accordingly. Limitations • VICC file size is limited so it may not contain all events in the playlist but only a portion of them. • VICC file will not provide all the information available in scheduling system. • Maximum number of playout channels exported = 25 • Maximum number of schedule events exported per channel = 1000 • Maximum number of as ran events exported per channel = 50 • Maximum number of fields exported per event = 16 • Maximum length of each event record = 256 characters 14.3 Neptune by Pebble Beach Systems The Neptune automation system by Pebble Beach Systems (PBS) can trigger Viz Multichannel (through Media Sequencer) as a TCP device (TCP/IP). The Neptune integrates with Viz Multichannel in the following ways: 1. Triggering primary events (via a TCP port to the Media Sequencer machine) 2. Triggering secondary events (via a TCP port or CII serial port to the Media Sequencer machine) 3. Automatically update playlist (via a TCP port to the Schedule Collector machine) 4. Hosting Viz Content Pilot’s Newsroom Component for scheduling actions in Neptune. This section contains information on the following topics: • Commands • Importing and Updating • Updating Live Page 214 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Newsroom Component • Limitations 14.3.1 Commands The following commands are supported in Media Sequencer: • PROGRAM_START id will play primary event with Media ID = id • PROGRAM_STOP id will stop primary event with Media ID = id • PROGRAM_LOAD id will load primary event with Media ID = id • PAGE_START id will play secondary event with Media ID = id • PAGE_STOP id will stop secondary event with Media ID = id • PAGE_LOAD id will load secondary event with Media ID = id 14.3.2 Importing and Updating The Neptune system reads playlist data via files in XML format. Channel traffic name (channel) and playlist date (txdate) are provided in the list node. The rest of the fields are read from the event nodes (eventlist/ event). Begin Time should be read from onairtime node. Different time formats are supported. An event’s on-air date can be read from onairdate node if available. Sometimes it is merged with onairtime. Secondary events (if available) can be read from inside their primary event node (../secondaryeventlist/ secondaryevent). 14.3.3 Updating Live Two major workflows are usually implemented: Reading playlists from a scheduling system: Viz Multichannel (usually in scheduling mode) reads playlist (in any format) from the scheduling system, generates all secondary events either manually, automatically (by Rules), from the playlist file, or any combination of the three. Once a playlist is ready (usually sent to Viz Multichannel in Master Control Room), it is triggered by the Neptune automation system to play either primary or secondary events. This workflow may include live updates from Neptune via the Schedule Collector tool. Reading playlists directly from the Neptune automation system: Viz Multichannel runs only in MCR mode and reads playlists directly from Neptune. That is done via the Schedule Collector tool. Schedule Collector uses the Pebble Beach Systems API, connects it every configured interval and gets X (configured) next events information from it. Schedule Collector then, whenever it recognizes any changes in the schedule, generates an XML update file and triggers the Playlist Importer. A Neptune schedule is always automatically mirrored in Viz Multichannel. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 215 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide This workflow provides several different options: • Reading primary and secondary events with content from Neptune. • Reading only primary events from Neptune and generating secondary events by Rules. • Reading primary and secondary events from Neptune but populating secondary events content by Viz Multichannel, • Any combination of the three above. Note: In order to enable that feature in Neptune, a Pebble Beach Systems’ XML API license is required. 14.3.4 Newsroom Component Viz Content Pilot’s Newsroom Component provides the ability to view available templates for a channel, create new editable templates, edit, preview and schedule them in the playlist. For more information on Viz Content Pilot’s Newsroom Component see the Viz Content Pilot User’s Guide. Note: This integration connects to Media Sequencer for reading template information and not Viz Content Pilot’s database. 14.3.5 Limitations The Pebble Beach Systems XML format is closed and strict. Viz Multichannel needs more information to add flexibility when scheduling (e.g. rules, conditions, auto-content); however, this is not possible. 14.4 iTx by Miranda Technologies Viz Multichannel supports seamless integration with iTX by Miranda Technologies both on the data and the control levels. On the data level the Schedule Collector tool receives BXF schedules via a Web Service and puts it in Viz Multichannel’s watch folder for automatic import. On the control level iTx utilizes Media Sequencer’s REST interface to trigger Viz Multichannel’s secondary events over HTTP. This section contains information on the following topics: • Import Schedules Page 216 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 14.4.1 Import Schedules In order to import a BXF schedule from iTx one has to configure the Schedule Collector tool to connect to a Web Service and also prepare Viz Multichannel’s mapping table for the relevant import type. Refer to the Omnibus BXF iTX Automation section for configuration details. Specifically one has to know in advance the web service URL to which Schedule Collector will connect. On the Viz Multichannel side you should set import type to Any XML and use BXF mapping table that comes with installation. Controlling Vizrt from iTx iTx triggers Media Sequencer over HTTP and for this nothing has to be configured except setting triggering to Secondary Events. Note: Triggering is only effective when playlist is running. For more information on Media Sequencer’s REST protocol, please refer to the Media Sequencer manual or browse http://[MediaSequencer-HOST]:8580/doc/. Note that unlike a typical discovery of resources by client, iTx will construct the URI of the secondary event according to Viz Multichannel’s channel name, playlist date and BXF UUID for the relevant secondary event and its correlated primary event. This works because Viz Multichannel sets the name attributes of the secondary and primary event nodes in Media Sequencer to be the same as the BXF event UUID. The URI format is then: http://:/element_collection/VizRundown/channels//rundowns/ >/elements// Example: http://localhost:8580/element_collection/VizRundown/channels/TTEN/rundowns/11_06_2011_TTEN/elements/ urn:uuid:00000000-0000-0000-0000-000003E1A381/urn:uuid:00000000-0000-0000-0000-00000462C024 Vizrt on iTx side iTx’ Vizrt plug-in can be used to edit secondary graphic events aired from Vizrt’s device. At the moment the creation of an event on Media Sequencer is not over REST but rather after a schedule exchange over a BXF web service handled by the Schedule Collector which then is transferred to the Media Sequencer. Triggering of the event is over REST when iTx communicates with the Media Sequencer over HTTP. Communication with the Media Sequencer is performed by the TXPlay application running on the Output Server. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 217 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide iTx’ Vizrt plug-in is configured via the channel configuration layout. In the settings panel, enter the address and port of the Media Sequencer: Media Sequencer schedule events can contain dynamic text fields populated from the imported schedule. Graphics pages can also include macros that will dynamically generate the appropriate fields based on the live schedule data (macros can also be scheduled). Currently, due to protocol limitations, the duration of a graphics event is defined in the page template and cannot be controlled by iTx. Page 218 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide iTx’ Vizrt Plug-in is intended to be operated with the following shared device architecture. Both main and backup channels are configured to connect to the same device, but only the ‘Master’ channel will send commands to it. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 219 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 220 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 15 Viz One Integration This chapter gives an overview of the steps to take before you make use of your Viz One. As there are two distinct setups that must be done in order to complete the Viz One integration this chapter will describe each in separate sections. • Viz One and Viz Engine Configuration • Viz Multichannel Configuration • Video Preview Configuration 15.1 Viz One and Viz Engine Configuration When integrating Viz One with Viz Engine you must: • allow Viz One to transfer assets to Viz Engine by installing the ArdFTP service on the Viz Engine. • allow Viz One to monitor Viz Engine’s transferred assets by installing the ArdFSMon service. For more information on how to install these services, see the Viz Enigne Administrator’s Guide on Integrating with Viz One. Once Viz Engine has been configured to allow Viz One transfer and monitor assets to/on the Viz Engine you can start to configure Viz One. When configuring Viz One you must: • add a user to Viz One that will allow other applications to search for Viz One assets and meta data. • add a Viz Engine as a video server to Viz One. • define the storage and access methods Viz One requires in order to transfer and monitor assets to/on the Viz Engine. For more information on how to add users, and how to add and define Viz Engines as video servers, see the Viz One Deployment Guide on Integrating Video Production with Broadcast Graphics. 15.2 Viz Multichannel Configuration When integrating Viz Multichannel with Viz One you must: • allow Viz Multichannel to resolve the schedule’s house IDs by matching them against Viz One assets. Once resolved, the playlist can be populated with assets from Viz One. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 221 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • allow Viz Multichannel to search for and preview media assets locally before adding it to a template/page and/or the playlist. • allow Viz Multichannel to configure one or multiple device channels (i.e. Viz Engine) with a Viz One connection for asset transfers to the same device channel. For more information on how to configure Viz Multichannel’s Viz One connection and playout devices, see the Viz One and Configuring Playout Devices sections. 15.3 Video Preview Configuration If you are previewing proxy versions of video from Viz One using VCP’s Newsroom Component (i.e. Timeline Editor) or Viz Engine (i.e. Viz Engine installed on your control client machine) you will have to install video codecs. These are not part of Vizrt’s standard installation. IMPORTANT! Due to licensing requirements, Vizrt does not provide the codecs required for local preview. Users must obtain and install their own codecs. Note: Codecs are only required when local preview is done, as in the cases above. Playout of the high resolution versions do not require a codec installation. The following procedures will guide you through the necessary installation steps: • Installation Options • To install codecs for local preview • To set a preferred decoder Installation Options Codecs are available from several suppliers. The list below includes several suggestions: • FFDShow MPEG-4 video decoder and Haali Media Splitter • LAV Filters video decoder and splitter • MainConcept video decoder and splitter IMPORTANT! On Windows 7 machines, the default installation of the LAV filters results in the LAV splitter and the Windows video decoder being used. This can lead to problems using the Timeline Editor, so customers must avoid this situation by ensuring that the LAV decoder is selected Page 222 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide using the Windows 7 filter tweaker tool. See how To set a preferred decoder. Note: The display accuracy of the Timeline Editor can be effected by the type of codecs installed. Some video decoders function in a way that limits the accuracy of the Timeline Editor when displaying frames. This must be taken into account in workflows that involve accurate placement of data elements, mark-in and mark-out points, and poster frames using the Timeline Editor. If using the FFDShow video decoder, the displayed frame for the poster frame, mark-in and mark-out features may be up to 0.5 seconds away from the position the marker is at. Customers that need a high level of frame accuracy should consider using other solutions. The video decoders from MainConcept and LAV operate in a different way, meaning that the Timeline Editor displays frames accurately when using either of these video decoders. Previewing videos in the Timeline Editor works accurately, regardless of the video decoder used. To install codecs for local preview The example below sets up support for h.264 playback using the FFDShow MPEG-4 codec package and a Matroska Splitter from Haali. Note: You need to have your own license for clip playback as FFDShow does not come with a decoding license. 1. Make sure you do not have any other codec packages installed on the machine that interfere with FFDShow or the media splitter. 2. Download the Matroska Splitter from Haali 3. Download the Windows 7 DirectShow Filter Tweaker 4. Download the FFDShow MPEG-4 Video Decoder • Make sure you have a license to use the codec • Make sure you download a 32-bit version of the codec 5. Uninstall older 64-bit versions of the MPEG-4 codec 6. Install the Matroska Splitter from Haali 7. Install the Windows 7 DirectShow Filter Tweaker 8. Install the FFDShow MPEG-4 codec • After installing the FFDShow codec package make sure that no applications are excluded, especially Viz Engine (there is an inclusion and exclusion list in FFDShow). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 223 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 9. Set your MPEG-4 32-bit decoder to FFDShow (see how To set a preferred decoder) • You should now be able to preview video clips from Viz One To set a preferred decoder 1. Run the Windows 7 DirectShow Filter Tweaker 2. In the appearing dialog box click Preferred decoders 3. Set your MPEG-4/H.264 32-bit decoder to FFDShow and click Apply & Close 4. Click Exit See Also • Working with Video Clips Page 224 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 16 Preview Server This section describes the installation and configuration of the Preview Server. The Preview Server is a console application setting up an HTTP REST service on port 54000 on the host it is running. This service accepts requests for graphical snapshots of playout elements from a Viz Engine. Per default, the Viz Engine must run on the same host as the Preview Server, but it is possible to specify another host for the Viz Engine. IMPORTANT! The Preview Server must be installed on a separate Viz Engine machine with its own license. This section contains information on the following topics: • Command Line Arguments • To install/upgrade the Preview Server • To configure the Preview Server using command line arguments • To start the Preview Server Command Line Arguments The executable file can be started with the following command line arguments: Preview Server Command Line Options Argument Description -h= or -host= Specifies the host name of the host running the Viz Engine. Default is localhost. -p= or -port= Specify the port of the host running the Viz Engine. Default is 50007, which is the built-in multiplexer port. -l= or -listen= Specifies the listener port for the Preview Server. Default is 54000. -t= or -timeout= Specifies the default time out for a preview request in seconds. Default is 30s. -v or -verbose Specifies verbose output to the Preview Server log. Enable this if you want to report issues to Vizrt. -? or -help Displays help on command line arguments when using command prompt. To install/upgrade the Preview Server Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 225 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 1. Run the installer. 2. Click Next. • Optional: Select the location of the installed files. 3. Click Next. 4. Click Install to start the installation process. 5. Click Finish. To configure the Preview Server using command line arguments Note: Configuring the Preview Server is not needed unless you have to specify other than the default by using command line arguments. 1. From the Start menu select and right-click the Preview Server, and from the appearing context menu select Properties. 2. Click the Shortcut tab, and add your Command Line Arguments. To start the Preview Server • From the Start menu select Preview Server. • The Preview Server is started in a console, and is up and running immediately. Upon start it will try to connect to the specified Viz Engine, or the Viz Engine running on localhost, if not specified. • To view the main web page of the server, start a browser and go to http://:54000/ (e.g. http://localhost:54000). Page 226 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide See Also • Preview Server requirements • Preview Server client configuration • Viz Engine Administrator’s Guide for information on installing the Viz Engine graphics and video render engine. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 227 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Page 228 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 17 Appendix This appendix provides instructions for upgrading existing Multichannel installations to the current release. It also gives an overview of the Vizrt Data Format (VDF) and information on how to build your own Hosted Page Editor. 17.1 Upgrading existing Multichannel installations This section contains the upgrading instruction for Multichannel from version 2.3 to the current release. There are tools provided to upgrade previous installations of Multichannel. Vizrt recommends that customers contact their local Vizrt representative before upgrading. Caution: Always make sure you have a full and confirmed correct backup of all relevant configuration settings before attempting an upgrade. To upgrade Multichannel for each version, a user must perform the task that are specified in the following instruction. 17.1.1 Upgrade tools from Multichannel versions lower than 2.5 There are upgrade tools in the Multichannel 2.6 installation folder with names according to the Multichannel versions being upgraded. The upgrade tools are designed to perform a complete upgrade after double-clicking on the tool. The upgrade tools are as follows: version 2.0. version 2.3. version 2.5. 17.1.2 UpgradeTo20.exe is used for upgrading a default configuration of MuC to UpgradeTo23.exe is used for upgrading a default configuration of MuC to UpgradeTo25.exe is used for upgrading a default configuration of MuC to Upgrading Multichannel from 2.5 or 2.6 to 2.6.2 1. Double-click the application icon to open MuC 2.6.2 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 229 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 17.1.3 2. Open the settings window from the Multichannel toolbar 3. Click the Update Settings in the Add-Button drop-down option 4. After the upgrade has been performed an information dialogue box will be displayed. Re-open the Settings Form to review the upgraded configuration. Upgrade Multichannel from 2.6.2 to 2.7 Multichannel 2.7 provides an update tool which can be found at "[Viz Multichannel installation folder]\tools\UpgradeTool". 1. Page 230 Double-click the program to open it. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 17.1.4 2. Click the Connect button to show a channel list 3. The channel lists which are upgradable will be shown with an Upgrade button. Only Multichannel 2.6.2 version is allowed to upgrade. Click on it to start the upgrade. 4. The Upgrade Status will show a “Fully Upgraded” text after the upgrading process is completed. Troubleshooting the Upgrade Tool Normally the upgrade tool will be able to perform an automatic and complete upgrade, but in some cases there might be configuration or scene settings that prevents the upgrade tool from performing a complete upgrade. In case Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 231 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide of failure, the upgrade tool will either rollback the complete process (in case of an unrecoverable error) or provide warning messages (in case of not critical errors). If any error or warning messages are displayed, the reason for the failure should be investigated and corrected. 17.1.5 List of Critical failures when running the Upgrade tool The template and page information are missing To fix this, it is required to re-import or delete the templates and pages indicating by the error message. After that, users can run Upgrade Tool again by clicking the “Upgrade” button 17.1.6 List of Non-Critical failures when running the Upgrade tool The Node value is null or empty The “Node value is null or empty” is not a serious problem. The Upgrade tool is able to upgrade successfully while skipping all of this failure type. However, to prevent a further error, users should fill all the missing node values after the completion of an upgrade. Page 232 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 17.2 Vizrt Data Format (VDF) In order to implement an external update service, you need to parse and return a Vizrt Data Format (vdf) document to the Media Sequencer. The document is posted to the update service by the Media Sequencer. In order to work with the data formats you have to know how the data is structured when it is sent from the Media Sequencer to Viz (e.g. by looking at the Media Sequencer’s console), and work with the data that is sent; however, we highly recommend that you contact your local Vizrt representative in order to get the current version of the VDF. Example VDF document: bar otherbar The Field Names refer to Field Identifiers, a property available to all Viz Artist control plugins. See Also • Page Content from Update Services • Viz Artist User’s Guide and Control plugins (e.g. Control Text). 17.3 Hosted Page Editor Vizrt offers, with the Multichannel installation, some simple building blocks to build your own hosted Page Editor. A hosted page editor can be used in situations where using the full Viz Multichannel client is not desirable or needed. Caution: As an example, the Viz Multichannel installer offers an ActiveX component to exemplify the current functionality available. This section contains information on the following topics: • Register the ActiveX • Open the ActiveX • Set the Correct Product and Channel Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 233 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • List Templates and Pages • Create, Edit and Delete Pages Using the Page Editor • Edit a Single Page Field Without a Page Editor • Edit Multiple Page Fields Without a Page Editor See Also • Page Editor 17.3.1 Register the ActiveX In the Viz Multichannel installation folder you will find a folder named AX containing the actual ActiveX component, its settings file and an HTML page for testing. As the ActiveX component is not installed and registered during regular installation you need to register and configure it manually in order to create and test your own Page Editor. To register the ActiveX component 1. Run Command 2. Change directory to Viz Multichannel’s AX folder (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\vizrt\Viz Multichannel\AX) 3. Enter regsvr32 VCPAxFiller.ocx and press Enter • This will register the ActiveX component. To register the ActiveX component settings 1. Open the AX folder in the Viz Multichannel installation directory. • If Viz Engine and Media Sequencer are not running on your local host you must edit the registry file and set the correct host names. 2. Double-click the AX-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.reg file. • This will set PreviewPort to 50008, PreviewHost to localhost, and MseHost to localhost, and in registry. Page 234 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 17.3.2 Open the ActiveX Before you can open the ActiveX component and its features you need to perform the Register the ActiveX. Once that is done you can continue testing the ActiveX. Note: The ActiveX component must run in browser mode: Internet Explorer 9. To open the ActiveX component 17.3.3 1. Open the AX folder in the Viz Multichannel installation directory. 2. Open the VizrtActiveXTestPage.html file in Internet Explorer. 3. If Internet Explorer 10 is used, press F12 and set browser mode to Internet Explorer 9. 4. Allow Internet Explorer to run blocked content (i.e. ActiveX). Set the Correct Product and Channel Before you can use the ActiveX to create, edit and delete pages based on already available templates and pages you need to define the product and channel the you will work with. To set the correct product Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 235 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide • Click the Get Product button. • This will display the configured product in the Result area (at the bottom of the page). • If trio is shown, enter multichannel in the Product Name field and click the Set Product button. To set a channel 1. Click the Get Folder button, and the Result area will show the channel name currently in use. 2. If nothing is shown in the Result area then press the List Folders button, and the Result area will show a list of channel names stored on the Media Sequencer. 3. Enter the channel name in the Folder Name field and click the Set Folder button. Note: Channel name is case sensitive. 4. 17.3.4 Click the Get Folder button again. List Templates and Pages To list available templates and template fields 1. Click the List Templates button, and the Result area will show templates currently available. 0400 0030 0200 2. ... Enter the item value (e.g. 0400) in the Template ID field and click the List Template Fields button, and the Result area will show the templates’ exposed fields. Arial-Regular To list available pages and page fields 1. Click the List Pages button, and the Result area will show pages currently available. 0011 Page 236 Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Viz Multichannel User’s Guide 0012 2. ... Enter the item value (e.g. 0011) in the Page ID field and click the List Page Fields button, and the Result area will show the pages’ filled content. 17.3.5 Mr. Black Create, Edit and Delete Pages Using the Page Editor To create a page 1. Enter a new item (e.g. 0010) in the Page Id field (see how To list available pages and page fields). Note: Alternatively, enter a new Page Id when saving the new page. 2. Enter an existing item value in the Template Id field (see how To list available templates and template fields). Note: Alternatively, select the Template Id from the Page Editor’s template list. 3. Click the Create Page button. 4. Edit the page and click the embedded page editor’s Save button (see Page Editor). Copyright © 2014 Vizrt Page 237 Viz Multichannel User’s Guide Similar to creating a page you may also edit or delete a page by providing an existing Page Id, and then click the corresponding Open Page or Delete Page button. If you do not enter a new Page Id before creating a new page you may enter it before you save the page. If you do not enter a Template Id before creating a new page the Page Editor will list all available templates. This also requires that no Page Id has been set before clicking the Create Page button. 17.3.6 Edit a Single Page Field Without a Page Editor To edit a single page field without a page editor 17.3.7 1. Enter an existing item (e.g. 0010) in the Page Id field (see how To list available pages and page fields). 2. Click the List Page Fields button, and the Result area will show the pages’ existing content. 3. Enter the item name in the Field Name field. 4. Enter the new item value in the Field Value field. 5. Click the Set Page Field button. 6. Click the List Page Fields button, and the Result area will show the pages’ new content. Edit Multiple Page Fields Without a Page Editor To edit multiple page fields without a page editor 1. Enter XML to the Fields area in the following format: [new value] [new value] [new value] 2. Page 238 ... Click the Set Page Fields button. Copyright © 2014 Vizrt